Dismantled Pattern
by littlemelonatplay
Summary: Civilian life in Kumogakure. Being a civilian has got to be easier than becoming a kunoichi who has to mold their life to the village's whims. However, maybe she got it all wrong? This is an OC – SI story.
1. Chapter 1

**Dismantled Pattern**

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. If it did belong to me, I would not be ending the series so abruptly (while I respect his choices, I am still very upset about that). The only thing mine is Noriko, an OC SI (and she is completely different from myself).

**Warning**: A pairing will arise in the distant future that may or may not involve a main character of this story. Writing romance is particularly challenging for me so this will become a focal point when the time comes. I might have to add another character to this story then. However, this will only be ONE aspect of my story. It is not listed under romance because it's about my OC's life as a whole.

**Note**: I will be attempting to stick to the way Japanese culture works, so things such as names will be: last name, first name. There is no beta, so there will be mistakes. I did try to the best of my ability to look up everything properly. Reviews are welcome. :)

ooo

**Chapter One**

I never understood the idea of yin and yang in my previous life. How could two opposites not only complement each other, but create a whole? However, only now in my old age could I attest to its validity. For the idea of yin and yang describes me perfectly. Comparing my past life with the early years of my reincarnation was like looking at yin and yang. Oh, not in a moral sense (I was never some serial killer, gangster, etc.). It was my overall view of life, my personality, and the beliefs that made me who I was.

In my previous life, my personality was cheerful and full of hope. There were trials, but nothing big. Definitely could call it my "yang period" so to speak. I had a loving family that watched out for one another. I was meticulous in integrating my dreams into goals. Everything was on track and moving forward. My admission to the first university of my choice had just been secured. The best news, in my opinion at least, was that my ten year old brother, who had autism, had started to improve his interactions with the family. Unfortunately, this all came to a screeching halt soon after my eighteenth birthday. The reason: my death. Though, I guess it would be more accurate to say my life came to a screeching halt.

As if that wasn't bad enough, _Somebody_ or _Something_ had the audacity to reincarnate me, which was not at all what it first appeared to be in many stages.

In my first life, I had loved learning about different cultures, governments, dynasties, and other aspects of the world. However, none of these historical facts could have ever prepared me for the new life I would live, which I can undeniably call the "yin period" during my youth.

ooo

For all my supposed intelligence it took me some time to figure out what was going on in the beginning. My impressions of the womb consisted of me thinking I had gone blind to my theory of a possible coma induced nightmare of a wacked up prison. The memory of my death had been unconsciously suppressed.

I'll spare you the horrid details of my actual birth (and for someone with germaphobia that _was_ nightmare inducing).

It was only until my vision started working properly that I entered a state of intense denial. I blocked everything out of my mind. The continual cycle of sleeping, feeding, and crying aided that. As months passed, I hardly ever moved out of curiosity, which meant I never tried to crawl. This worried the person taking care of me, which happened to be an old woman. Eventually she went on a campaign to make me crawl around. This was when I noticed that an elderly woman was taking care of me. That's also when I began to allow myself to think. One of which happened to be, "Why are my hands so small and pudgy?" As a baby you really don't have much choice in matters, so I began to weakly crawl around the floor. The sensations of crawling, the rough scrape of the floor and the effort it took to move my appendages was awkward. While looking around the room, I concluded that I was in some kind of nursery. It struck me as very unusual though. There were so many details in the room. It had weird mats on the floor that I could see the individual strands of woven together. There was a table of some sort with a woven cloth on it that I could touch. The texture of the cloth was soft and a lovely deep purple color. When I looked up, the old woman was smiling and I could make out all the wrinkles on her face. Yeah, that began the journey to solidify that this was real. No way would I imagine so many minute details.

As all this was happening, my mind suddenly unlocked the memory of my death, which came sharply into focus as I had been running my hands over the purple cloth. Shortly after that I passed out.

ooo

Upon waking, I went over my most recent experience. Everything was so clear. There was no haziness at all. I tried to go through logical conclusions and eventually established that I was somehow reborn again. Then I began to cry because I knew there was no way I'd ever see my family again.

Again I worried the old woman taking care of me because now all I did was cry and scream until I made myself hoarse. The old woman became concerned, but I did not care. I didn't care if I hurt myself. I didn't care if she worried. All I thought about was my family. I thought of the hugs my father gave me. The way my mom would bake cookies in the winter and serve them with her special cinnamon cocoa. My brother's train set that he'd interconnect all over the house that would drive me crazy with its continual racket. It broke my heart that I would never again experience any of these things.

This realization was so detrimental for me. All my dreams connected to my family. I wanted to teach children with special needs – children like my little brother. I wanted to get married with my family planning and attending it. I wanted to have kids and let my parents babysit. I wanted to watch over my little brother as he grew up.

Day after day, I kept grieving. I pretty much just went through the motions. I never moved on my own again. Until one day someone new came into the room. It was a young woman, maybe in her early twenties. She was carrying a small scroll. She made her way to the table and gestured for me to come over. I couldn't help but wonder if this was the woman who gave birth to me. As I clumsily crawled over, she spoke to me for the first time and I realized she was speaking a different language.

At that moment, I realized how, despite my new acceptance of this place, I was quite oblivious. Again she spoke and I froze at one word she said. She had spoken slowly and carefully, as one often does to babies. The word that really grabbed my attention though was Ojou-sama. My first thought about that was, "Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed. What did I ever do to her that she's using sarcasm on a baby?" Then another thought occurred to me, "What if that's who I am?" She had said it with a straight face, but she had an oddly blank look about her.

Well I'd just have to wait and see. Though I did find out that she was not my mother. Turns out she happened to be my teacher based off the repeated pointing to herself and saying, "Fujioka-sensei." I guess my face looked lost or something when I had spaced out over the whole Ojou-sama thing.

Huh, I guess that means the floor is made of tatami mats. Good thing I'd been paying attention to all those animes I used to watch or I'd have never figure this stuff out.

All of a sudden my face was slapped. What the heck? When I looked over to Fujioka-sensei, I realized that I must have been spacing out for a long time. The slap was unnecessarily rude though. It would be my luck that corporal punishment existed here.

Deciding to try to pay attention to avoid more slaps, I began listening. She stayed with me for about an hour and then left finally. That was the day I learned my name. It was Fukui Noriko.

ooo

As the days wore on, I wondered why on earth someone as young as I would have a private teacher. As I began paying attention with renewed interest, no small feat for one as young as myself, I started putting the pieces together. I had many toys (up to this point ignored), was constantly called Ojou-sama, and had beautiful silk clothes. It quickly verified that I must come from a wealthy family. Well, it also told me how much I still retreated into myself that none of these facts had clicked with me.

According to my understanding, my parents must have handed over my care to the old woman so that they would be free to do as they wished. I figured that if corporal law was in, then it wouldn't be too far a leap in logic to assume that a baby girl might not be as valuable as a boy. In addition, I had no idea if they had visited me and I didn't respond so they thought they'd try again when I'm older. It could also be that they really just didn't care due to my gender, were spoiled rich adults partying it up, or both. Only time would tell.

Besides figuring out that I was oblivious, there were other consequences to my introverted behavior. Up to now, I had been ignoring everything since I was mourning my family. What I came to see was that my motor skills and learning ability to talk had been severely hindered.

I had recently figured out that I was about one and a half years old. Being able to barely crawl around and only just now making "goo goo gaga" sounds was behind the development of a normal child.

Making the correct syllables was difficult for me. Picking up words and learning their meanings was even more so. Anything Fujioka-sensei did was. It was due to my slow development in these departments that I gained a reputation as being slow and simple. I didn't care though. The only reason that I even tried to learn was because I knew I couldn't live properly without being able to speak, read, and write.

ooo

I didn't panic until I turned three. Due to my status, I hardly ever left my room. Anything I needed was brought to me. On rare occasions the old woman, whose name I never learned so was forced to call Obasan (**1**), would take me out to play in the gardens. It was super fancy. My family was totally loaded.

However, one day Fujioka-sensei came to the subject of where we lived. She had pulled out a map and was pointing to the little dot where we lived. As soon as she mentioned Kumogakure, my mind went blank. I had been assuming my reincarnation had taken place in a future that had to revert back to a more primitive existence because people had finally succumbed to bombing the planet on a global scale with hardly any survivors where knowledge was lost.

The only type of modern convenience my dwelling had was running water and toilets, which was the bare minimum I could deal with. I had continually been on the lookout for technology of any sort in my new life since I came from a culture saturated in advanced technology. If there was any to be had, my new family had to own it since we were filthy rich. Unfortunately there had been absolutely nothing. The only thing that came close was a camera that looked like the one Abraham Lincoln would have used.

My vocabulary was still brokenly coming along despite Fujioka-sensei's best attempts to make me speak well. In addition, my writing skills were coming along horribly because of my motor skill problems and already having English programmed into my brain. Although, I could read just fine. Turns out my mind was great.

However, it did not help my reputation of being slow and simple by squeaking out a horrified, "W-What?"

Fujioka-sensei replied with, "I said we live in Kumogakure. Your father holds an important job here."

"Are you sure?" If I didn't calm down, I was going to start hyperventilating soon.

"Yes. I'm sure." I vaguely noticed that she was looking at me funny. As if I was a particularly dumb insect.

She continued, "Your father, Fukui Yuki-sama, was given this job by the daimyo himself. He is the liaison between the political court in the capitol and this village. As the younger brother of the daimyo, it is a privilege and honor for you to uphold the Fukui clan."

Oh, well, that would explain all the lectures I tuned out about honoring the clan name. The name Fukui means "fortunate," which makes sense since we're part of the royal clan.

At first I had ignored the lectures on honor because neither of my new parents ever came to see me. Then the lectures just became tedious since Fujioka-sensei wouldn't shut up about it. If I hadn't had a normal life before this, I would be so arrogant at this point. Now I felt bad for judging and making fun of all those important political people before I died.

Then my mind stopped again because I realized that she was talking about living in a ninja village as if that was normal. Yes, as far-fetched as reincarnation had seemed, I did believe in the unexplainable supernatural, so I had come to accept it.

Living in a ninja village was an entirely different kettle of fish. Not only that, but Kumogakure? Some place a guy in Japan made up for Naruto? Uh-uh, no way. The name had immediately registered because that was my favorite anime.

Though this was an awfully long dream or coma I had been imaging for about two and a half years (the first half year I was in denial).

Maybe . . .

No!

I had to keep it together.

A resounding smack came across my cheek. Fujioka-sensei did not appreciate being ignored. That certainly made it seem real. The corporal punishment had continued over my time with her. I could never avoid it that often because I would often have trouble keeping up with what we studied. When that happened, Fujioka-sensei would grow impatient with me and punish me. There was hardly ever any big punishments, mostly just hard slaps. However, it did make my resentment grow towards my new parents. In my previous life, I had been scolded yes, but I always knew I was loved. There were no such reassurances here.

It was also due to my slow progress that we were only now getting to geography. Eventually the lesson ended and I was free to think to myself.

Was I crazy? I'd read about mental illnesses. This didn't seem like one of those. All mental illnesses had their victim in some way aware of their environment. I knew for a fact I was not in my old world. I was also 100% sure my death was not imagined. My murder had been brutal. The killer had wanted me to see myself dying. She had ripped my heart from me and I had faded out afterwards.

My mind was chaotic. In the coming months it really reinforced the idea to my sensei and Obasan that I was slow. It was hard for me to concentrate since I was consumed with understanding my situation.

ooo

A year passed by. To this day I had never celebrated my birthday because I received many gifts all year round, so it was deemed unnecessary. The only problem I had with this was that my parents had still made no effort at all to see me. I wasn't selfish, I knew there were orphans and other poverty stricken people out there who would kill to be in my position. However, I got lonely. My sensei and Obasan treated me in a professional manner. There was hardly any physical contact. I knew from before I died that kids needed stuff like hugs growing up. This was never lacking the first time I grew up. I felt the loss keenly here.

Most importantly, I finally came to the conclusion at four years old that I would just believe in this place for now or I would not be able to function. Some allowances had been made due to my station and age, but this would not last for much longer. My lessons had been increasing. Partly because I took so long learning everything. That early time period of denial and mourning, where I did absolutely nothing, really held me back even now. Newly added to my lessons were the feminine arts and proper etiquette.

Another reason I decided to just accept this place was because I did not want to imagine that I would impose this kind of torture upon my mind. It was easier this way.

I had also decided to keep my reputation as being slow. As I had come to understand, high born girls had very few rights. Fujioka-sensei never said it outright, it was in the things she left out of her explanations. If I wasn't mentally older, it would have gone over my head. This made me want to observe more, unhindered by any expectations. There were only ninja guarding the perimeter of our estate. I had overheard Fujioka-sensei talking to Obasan about it one day so I didn't need to worry about them for now.

As soon as I had finished thinking that, Fujioka-sensei came into my room. Today's lesson would be over sewing and table manners. Interestingly enough, a few of my habits from before my death had carried over. I was horrible at using chopsticks correctly. These were rare though. Mostly everything was new. For instance, I used to hate eating fish and now it was a favorite.

Despite everything that had happened so far, I still thought of my previous family often. It was the only comfort I ever received here. However, it also caused my resentment of this world to grow exponentially. It had gotten so bad that the only times I ever smiled or laughed was when I thought of them. It didn't concern my sensei or Obasan because I smiled and laughed often enough – though at weird moments, which increased my reputation. This worked for me. I wanted to keep it that way.

ooo

My fifth birthday was nearing now. I honestly thought it would be like the years previous, but I was wrong.

When Obasan came in today I knew something was up. She only ever looked shifty when she had bad news. I waited for her to clue me in though. No need to advertise my observation skills.

"Ojou-sama, your birthday is in two days," she began.

"Oh?" I said. Once, I got a look in the mirror this past year. Mirrors weren't considered suitable baby gifts until recently. Turns out that I'm adorable. I could tell I was going to have one of those extremely cutesy faces. I had red hair and violet eyes with flecks of gold. Too bad Rurouni Kenshin wasn't my dad – that would've been better than this. To get back on track, I was currently using my looks to advantage.

There was a pause.

"Fukui Nadeshiko-sama, your mother, will be seeing you," she said.

That was actually quite shocking. I mean, it was bound to happen sometime, but after my fourth birthday I never thought of either of my parents.

I gave her a deer-in-the-headlights look because I honestly did not know how to react.

"You will be going over the proper etiquette to greet her today with Fujioka-sensei . . . Ojou-sama," she continued. It was obvious she was expecting more of a reaction, but I no longer wanted anything to do with my mother or father.

"I will try to please her," I said. This seemed to satisfy Obasan.

Over the next two days I was drilled exhaustingly over every little movement. Nothing was left out - my posture, my bow, the way I held my head. Of course, I was still clumsy (not intentionally), but they told me in a bemoaning manner that it would have to do.

I wasn't nervous to meet my mother at all. There were no expectations on my part. I merely considered her the woman who donated her DNA to create me. Though I did wonder why she wished to see me now.

ooo

My mother was a beautiful woman. I had many of her features. The only thing from my father seemed to be my violet eyes. My mother's eyes were forest green. I also had a red forehead that she did not, but that was from when I tripped over my long formal robes walking in.

She studied me from across the table. That was really the only way to describe it. From the moment I had walked in she had fastened her eyes on me and carefully examined all my movements. It wasn't in a friendly and curious "I want to know you better" way either. It was professional. The feeling reminded me of a horse breeder examining one of their herd. I had the insane urge to show her my teeth and say, "They're nice and clean aren't they? Only the finest from Fukui stables."

Thankfully, she began talking before I could follow through on that. She probably would not have appreciated the sarcasm. Pity.

"It is time to discuss your duty to the family Noriko-san," she said.

"Hai (**2**), Nadeshiko-sama," I replied. Yes, I was supposed to address her this way. In some noble houses you can call your parents father and mother, but not the Fukui. My clan supposedly values formality due to being part of the same clan as the daimyo. This was stressed even more so for my family since the daimyo was my uncle and therefore closely related.

It just made me thankful that I had experienced a happy family life that I could hold close to me. I didn't want to think about what I'd be like if I had no memories of my first family. Though at the same time I was a bit angry too.

"Danna-sama and I have arranged a betrothal for you. On your eighteenth birthday you will be married. Do you understand?" she asked me seriously.

"Hai, Nadeshiko-sama," I repeated obediently.

"Very well, you are dismissed," she ended.

Once I was back in my room and changed out of my formal attire (that took two hours to put on and is absolutely ridiculous for a kid), I was left alone. I was glad because shortly afterwards I reached my boiling point. I could not believe she summoned me like an animal. No, I was less than that. I was merely a business commodity to my parents. I knew how my name was spelled. Noriko can have many meanings, but I had thought mine odd at first. Only now do I see what it meant.

The literal meaning was "pattern child." My parents obviously wanted me to follow the pattern they have outlined for my life to further elevate themselves as befitting of the daimyo's clan.

Oh I'd humor them. I'd do as they asked – but only for the time being. One of the things this life had taught me was patience.

There was only so much activity you could do by yourself in one room and the gardens. It didn't help that my mentality was so much older. This led to me taking up meditation. Not in the traditional way. I would just sit by my window or in the garden and think for hours. The spacey look in my eyes did wonders for my reputation.

So I would wait for any chance I could use. In the meantime, I would observe and learn as much as possible.

ooo

(**1**) I'm using Obasan because the old woman is NOT her grandmother (which is Obaasan). She is just an older woman.

(**2**) Hai was the only term I felt that could fully express her response to her mother due to the various ways it is used in anime.

**A/N**: I am going to see how this does before posting another chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: There is still no beta. Reviews are welcome. :)

I would also like to thank the favorites, follows, and reviewers of the first chapter. :D

ooo

**Chapter Two**

The week following the announcement of my betrothal renewed the campaign to mold me into the perfect bride with a vengeance. Obasan told me that I would have a total of three private teachers. One teacher, Yashiro-sensei, was dedicated to teaching me the feminine arts such as the tea ceremony and ikebana. Fujioka-sensei would handle etiquette, reading, and writing. The final teacher, Fuwa-sensei, was to focus on teaching me diction and government.

In addition, I was to be seen by an Iryō-nin today. I suppose my performance at my debut with my mother was deemed sub-par.

When the Iryō-nin came into my room, I immediately began to pay attention to her. She had the traditional Kumogakure headband on her forehead. The engraving was actually very detailed when you looked close enough. The grooves making the symbol were smooth and flowed beautifully. There were also no scuff marks on it, so she must be taking good care of it. There was no way she was a new kunoichi that would not have had a chance to gain scuffs on her headband. The Fukui would view it as an insult to send someone inexperienced to examine me. I also noticed there were no visible weapons. Maybe she didn't want to scare me?

The Iryō-nin's clothes were also interesting. They were western in style, which was very refreshing. Everyone I had seen until now had worn traditional Japanese clothing. She also had the dark skin most people did in this region, except for my mother and I (we were as pale as milk).

She introduced herself and then placed her hands above me. I saw the standard green glow appear. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen and made me lose all interest in her pretty cotton clothes (my first time seeing that material in this world). I tried touching the chakra with my hands.

The Iryō-nin giggled at that and told me gently, "You can play with it another time, but right now you should stop Ojou-sama."

I knew that was a lie. Who says I'd ever see her again? So I promptly ignored her and continued. She just let me at that point. Her medical chakra was a mist-like substance that floated around my head and body. The green chakra actually had a soothing quality to it as it seeped into my body and was cool to the touch. It certainly made me feel better, though it could have been a placebo effect.

Her prognosis was that I wasn't like Hinata who had self-esteem issues. When children are born, they need to be active to stimulate the neurons in their brain to learn because many are lost in the next few years. Kids need these numerous neurons to process the information needed to learn to walk, talk, and develop the mind. She saw that I had not been stimulating my neurons for the earliest parts of my baby years, which she stressed was a critical time period, and that many of my actions were a direct result of that.

Officially, she stated she had fixed some of my motor skill issues, but the damage had been done. She also said that it was likely I would never reach full mental capacity.

When I overheard her make that statement (she and Obasan had gone across the room but were not particularly quiet), I couldn't believe it. The part about my mind was especially noteworthy. That had to be the most fortuitous news since I'd gotten here. At least I would not have to worry about pesky Yamanakas and their freaky mind reading abilities. I would have been discovered in two seconds flat.

The Iryō-nin's prognosis also explained why I spoke terribly. My sentences were littered with pauses and stutters most of the time.

The Iryō-nin then excused herself to explain the situation to Nadeshiko-sama and my new teachers.

For the rest of the day I was free to roam the gardens since the "strain" of the Iryō-nin's visit had exhausted me. It was so awesome to have puppy eyes here. I could never pull it off in my past life.

After settling in amidst the rose garden, I came to the realization that I had a fiendish delight to know I was already at an adult's mental capacity and everyone was ignorant of it. Well, I was almost at an adult's mentality. I hadn't lived on my own in my past life, which would have really matured me, but I was sort of there.

I didn't regret any of my previous actions during my denial and mourning. I would suffer anything to keep my memories. They were all I had left of my real home.

Anyhow, most of the time I kept myself limited to short phrases. With the approaching arrival of Fuwa-sensei, this was not allowed any longer. Obassan explained that it was a good thing she was chosen since she was prized as a lovely conversationalist in her clan, so it might be possible for her to eradicate my speech problems.

As if Fuwa-sensei was not chosen on purpose for that reason. My speech problem had existed for some time before the Iryō-nin's visit.

Heaven forbid I shame the Fukui clan by stuttering to someone. Why, the servants would gossip and tell other clans! Or worse, the daimyo might hear of my poor speech! Yeah, that _really_ concerned me.

Now, I did want to learn to speak correctly, just not for those reasons. It became very frustrating when I couldn't. It also hurt my pride. Seems all those speeches about honor had rubbed off a little bit, but it was mostly due to the fact that I had been educated far more in my previous life and it felt degrading.

I had to constantly keep in mind that I should bear with it and use it to my advantage. No one was ever going to take me seriously. Therefore, no one would see it coming when I got rid of that engagement.

That reminds me. I wonder why I had not met any males, either young or old? All three of my senseis are young ladies from the Fukui clan that had married into other noble clans closely related to the Fukui. To me it looked like a strong political move to keep the ties close. Who knows what their marriages were like?

I can only assume they are taking the concept to shelter the Ojou-sama seriously. Maybe young ladies are not to interact indiscriminately with young men at all? I had seen other girls around my age about the estate on some occasions, but never any boys. Of course I never interacted with those girls, but I think it had more to do with my perceived mental problems and bad speech since I was always cautioned not to go near them by Obasan.

If I was not supposed to go near boys, I bet my new mother, whoops, I mean _Nadeshiko-sama_, would faint if she ever found out I knew about the birds and the bees. Huh, I could probably get someone in serious trouble by letting something slip. That could come in handy if I ever needed to blackmail someone. Hmm . . . well, I'll just keep it in the back of my mind for now.

For a moment, I was a little horrified at how easily I considered using blackmail for any reason, but quickly dismissed it. I didn't want to think about it.

In addition, Nadeshiko-sama had also given me another attendant besides Obasan. She was an older teenager named Risa-san and was the only person I would be calling by their first name. Risa-san was around seventeen I would guess. I suppose this was to get me used to my importance. It could also be to make sure I had enough people to dress me. The layers of clothing they made me wear was obscene. There were so many steps to the process that I just stopped trying to figure it out. I was only five years old and they had me start dressing as if I would be bumping into important people every day.

ooo

The next day, after a couple of hours dressing and primping, Fuwa-sensei came into my room for the first time. She was dressed in a red kimono with gold chrysanthemums. I also thought she was much prettier than Fujioka-sensei with her black hair neatly pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck. Her age showed her to be in her twenties.

"Hajimemashite (**1**), Ojou-sama," she said. "Today, we will begin your lessons on speaking correctly. Nadeshiko-sama has made it clear that this will be my main priority. We will still learn about government, but this is more important. As this is the case, you will be seeing me more often than Fujioka-sensei and Yashiro-sensei from now on."

All that little introduction told me was that my brain was now officially considered secondary by everyone ever since the Iryō-nin had examined me. Though I'm presuming they were keeping it between my senseis and attendants so my engagement would not suffer from it.

In any event, I gave her the response she wanted to hear, "Hai, Fuwa-sensei. I look forward . . . to working w-with . . . you." This was a norm for me whenever I said longer sentences. Try as I might, I had been unsuccessful in fixing it myself. Only on some occasions can I say a short sentence (of around four or five words) with no trouble. I was curious to see how she'd take it.

Wow. She either had an incredible poker face or I'm worse than I thought at reading people.

We ate breakfast together. I guess it was to familiarize myself with her. Eating with her was also less stressful than with Fujioka-sensei. Perhaps that's because Fujioka-sensei was charged with teaching me etiquette, so Fuwa-sensei eased up on that. Plus, there is only so much that a child can learn on a daily basis.

Once the table had been cleared of breakfast, she started me on an exercise where I would repeat five syllables continuously. She had me doing that for over an hour. When it became apparent I could no longer continue since my voice was leaning towards becoming hoarse, she stopped me.

"We will take a break with your speech lesson now. Depending on how you feel, we might continue a bit more today. For now, let's begin your government lesson. Can you name the country we live in, the village, and the capital?" she asked me. She knew Fujioka-sensei had gone over this and a bit more since I was three, but she must have wanted to know if at least that stuck. Just part and parcel of being officially labeled slow.

"We live in . . . K-Kaminari no Kuni (**2**), in Kumogakure, and t-the capital is . . . Kumamoto (**3**)," I managed to say.

From there it became more of a lecture. I became more attentive when she eventually started talking about the people of Kaminari no Kuni, which I had been wanting to know for a long time.

"There are three classes of people in Kaminari no Kuni," she began.

Well that's disappointingly predictable.

"The first class citizens are the noble clans of Kaminari no Kuni. The third class citizens are made up of all other civilians. The merchant guilds are part of the third class as well and they pay taxes to the noble clan they belong to. The other class of people are the warrior class. The warrior class is made of both shinobi and kunoichi. They mostly govern themselves with the Raikage as their leader. However, the Raikage always obeys the daimyo," she recited.

Wait, what? Isn't Fuwa-sensei skipping the middle class? Why aren't merchants in the middle class? Whoa, is this like in the Dark Ages where there were only the poor and rich? If that is the case, no wonder I never remember seeing civilians in Kumogakure in the anime. They'd be stupid to stay here when they can have more freedom in places like Hi no Kuni (**4**).

Tuning back in, I heard:

"Some of the differences blur between the classes. For instance, all civilian women remain under the guardianship of their father until marriage. Only kunoichi have full rights to themselves and can do as they please. There are also no social repercussions for them," she finished.

Fuwa-sensei was going on a tangent because had I actually been slow, this would have been hard to fully comprehend the implications of. It was also obvious that she was somewhat envious of kunoichis. She had not needed to include that fact.

Well, now that I'm looking, she isn't all here. Her mind's wandering. Weird. She was very hard to read earlier. Maybe my cuteness and slow mind allow her to relax?

After that discussion, she dismissed herself and the rest of the day was lesson free.

ooo

The next day I learned that my attendants and senseis had been given the green light to allow me to roam the estate.

As I was exploring, I saw an imposing man dressed formally. He had several attendants hovering around him carrying various scrolls. He came nearer to my location and our eyes met. Then all of a sudden I was being whisked away to the Zen garden by Obasan.

"Huh?" I asked and gave her my best confused look.

"That was your father, Yuki-sama. I'm sorry, but you cannot meet him now. He's very busy," she explained.

Not only did I see my father for the first time, but I had also seen males in general for the first time in this world.

ooo

I did not take all the new things I had learned well. The most distressing of which was that I had absolutely no rights. If I even had just a few, I could have worked with that, but everything Yuki-sama decided for me would be considered law. That had thrown out all the ideas I had come up with beforehand to break off the engagement and later gain the rights to make my own choices in life.

In any case, Yuki-sama ignoring me when I had seen him on one of my initial explorations had not been worth my concern. That incident did not factor into my distress.

It had been three months since that first government lecture. I was becoming very upset since it was hard for me to suppress my emotions, so I needed to vent. To lash out verbally would be revealing too much about my mentality. I had to do something else or risk accidentally lashing out that way.

Currently, my attendants and senseis were in a meeting with Nadeshiko-sama. I am pretty sure the purpose was to report my progress and behavior. They would only be gone for a bit and did not worry about leaving me alone during those times. I never did anything bad, which was intentional on my part, to keep everyone unsuspecting of anything I might plan. Furthermore, there were guards along the perimeter of the estate (not that I ever saw them) if there was any real trouble.

Meanwhile, I was going stir crazy in my room. There had to be something I could resort to. I was unraveling. I couldn't even take a breath of fresh air because it was misting outside and had been raining for the past few days.

Wait a minute . . .

. . .

A few minutes later I was knee deep in mud and rolling around like a clumsy elephant in the hydrangea garden. I probably looked insane because I went all out, covering every inch of myself in mud.

I mean, what was the point of having money if I couldn't do stuff like this? It's not as if it would be detrimental to the family budget to get my clothes dirty. Anyway, if I got too sick, they could just get an Iryō-nin to look me over.

Suddenly, there was an ear-splitting shriek of, "Ojou-sama!"

ooo

I got in a lot more trouble for the mud stunt than I'd calculated for. I thought they'd pass it off as childish behavior, but I got punished from both Fujioka-sensei and Fuwa-sensei. Yashiro-sensei was in the process of traveling to the estate to come teach me, which was why I didn't get punished from her. Yashiro-sensei had been tending to her ill mother, so she could not make it to teach me until her estimated arrival next week.

Fuwa-sensei's punishment was preferable to Fujioka-sensei's numerous slaps. She merely made me write a formal apology. Fuwa-sensei soon discovered that I also had a lot of trouble with writing as well and thus for the time being she made me write the two characters for apology fifty times.

Yet, neither of these punishments were anything in comparison to being summoned to see Yuki-sama.

ooo

I stood outside Yuki-sama's office. I had never been to this section of the house before since the grounds were extensive and maze-like. Fuwa-sensei had mentioned that the capital and residence of the daimyo were even more impressive than my estate.

The office was also disgustingly ornate. He obviously had no taste and just liked showing off his wealth.

"Enter," a voice said.

Going into that room felt as if I was about to face my tribunal. The atmosphere of the room did not dispel that idea either. I knelt seiza style in the middle of the floor, as was custom for the daughter of the house, with my head bowed. Yuki-sama was sitting behind a luxurious desk. I recognized him from that glimpse in the gardens. His personal attendants, numbering four at the moment, were standing on each side of him.

"Do you know what you have done?" asked Yuki-sama.

As I was about to reply, I lifted my head and said, "I –,"

"I did not give you permission to raise you head," Yuki-sama cut in.

My words were forgotten.

He continued, "You are a child of the Fukui. It is the royal clan of Kaminari no Kuni. Your uncle is the daimyo himself. Your age and mental impairment are no excuse to behave so disgracefully. I will not now, or ever, tolerate it. There will be no coddling from me." He paused here.

"To make sure even someone such as yourself understands this, your punishment from me will be to go without food or water for two whole days beginning tomorrow since you already had dinner. You are not to leave your room during that time. Dismissed," decreed Yuki-sama.

I numbly walked out of that room, not really thinking at all since Yuki-sama had a very domineering presence. Never before had I felt my physical age so profoundly in this world.

ooo

That night, as I lay in bed, my mind was in a whirl. I could not believe the nerve of Yuki-sama! No one has any right whatsoever to talk to a child like that, no matter their station in life.

I had already lost everything that I held dear and dreamed of. Granted, no one knew this, but certain facts remained true. For instance, my new father had not deigned to see me until I "disgraced" him and my new mother had only come down from on high to deliver her mandate about my future.

They had a rude wakeup call coming. Realistically speaking, it wouldn't happen for years, but I would make sure it delivered. No way was anyone, under any circumstance, going to use me like that on top of losing everything I loved for their own selfish purposes with no regard to my person.

It had been five years. Technically, I should be moving on from my grief, but I couldn't. I couldn't let my original family go. I still thought of them often. I never wanted to let them go. If I did, what would be left of me? What would I do? There was still nothing I cared about here. The only reason I tried living was because I knew my original family would be disappointed in me if I didn't.

It was abundantly clear to me that no one was going to help or stand up for me. No matter how much I wished it were so.

Now was the time to strengthen my resolve. I was going to rescue myself and damn the consequences. There would be no more wavering from me to commit myself whole heartedly. I am going to attain the little bit of freedom I could. It was because I had already lost the things that meant anything to me that I could play with the highest stakes should I need to.

It probably did not help that I used to be an American. Some of my favorite history lessons were about the American Revolution. Instances such as the Boston Tea Party came to mind. Making a statement in a nonviolent manner was very inspiring at the moment. It had been a detrimental strike to the British and I was going to do the same in my own situation. However, when I struck, it was going to be more insidious than the Boston Tea Party.

New understanding and a sense of kinship came over me with Sasuke. I had never really liked him in the anime (still didn't in fact), but I understood now how he craved revenge. Unlike him, I'm not going to kill anyone. I didn't feel I needed to. See, I understood something Sasuke did not – sometimes living was a fate worse than death. I was going to make this abundantly clear to Nadeshiko-sama and Yuki-sama. After all, I was living proof.

ooo

(**1**) Hajimemashite approximately means "Nice to meet you"

(**2**) Kaminari no Kuni is the Japanese name for the Land of Lightening

(**3**) Kumamoto is an actual city in Japan and the name seemed like a good fit to use for the Land of Lightening since a capital is not mentioned in the anime or currently existing stat books

(**4**) Hi no Kuni is the Japanese name for the Land of Fire

**A/N**: I promise to try and get a Naruto character to appear in the next chapter! It just didn't work out for this one. On another note, I decided to post this chapter before originally planned. Hope you enjoyed it. :) Though I would like to know about the mistakes I've made since there is no beta *hint: there is a lovely review box below.*


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: Ay is written as Ē on fanfiction, which is why it took forever to find him in their character list. Also, there is still no beta. Reviews are welcome. :)

I really adore all the favorites, follows, and reviewers for their support. XD

ooo

**Chapter Three**

The start of my punishment came all too soon. Shortly after I woke up, Risa-san informed me that my room was actually going to be guarded since no one was supposed to come in or go out (part of the punishment was to stay in my room alone).

It freaked me out to learn that the guard was going to be a shinobi. It emphasized the seriousness of my punishment. Perhaps I could at least learn about ninjas while in exile and not have it the other way around.

I needed to be vigilant to prevent this shinobi from getting curious about me and exposing my cover. Ugh, sneaky ninjas. I hate how they are trained to be alert and notice their surroundings. My plan was to look spacey (at which I excelled) most of the time to combat anything they might think of me. At least I can meditate in peace and solitude during this punishment since I was going to be separated from my senseis as well as my attendants.

Risa-san had also told me not to be afraid of the shinobi while Fujioka-sensei had informed me that exceptions were made when being guarded concerning the no interacting with boys rule. I could see the logic in that. The shinobi would be working, and ninjas never got along well with civilians anyway – except when they were clients.

There was a knock on the door interrupting anymore thoughts I had about earlier this morning. It must be the guard.

"You may come in," I said from my seat by the kotatsu (**1**). Fortunately, my speech had actually improved because of my lessons with Fuwa-sensei that had begun three months ago. I still had some trouble, but not nearly as bad as before.

Unfortunately, my clumsiness remained the same. I would need physical therapy to eliminate most of it, but this world had none. Tsunade might have had options for me, but to my misfortune she worked for Konohagakure.

As the door slid open, I had to push down my rising anxiety and reassure myself everything would be fine. My paranoia was just becoming slightly irrational.

Coming into the room to introduce himself was a large young man who said, "Hajimemashite, Ojou-sama. My name is Ay, and my brother and I will be guarding you for the next two days."

ooo

**Three Hours Earlier in the Raikage's Office**:

"Ay, you cannot keep doing this. A shinobi does not allow his temper to rule his actions. This last mission of yours was barely a success. One of your teammates was severely injured. As luck would have it, his injury won't affect his career. If you are going to succeed me as Raikage, you will need to control your temper better," said the Raikage.

"Father!" exclaimed Ay.

The Raikage sighed before continuing, "I am suspending you from any mission of B-rank and above for this week. There is a C-rank mission that was originally to be carried out by one of my chūnin for Yuki-dono, but I am reassigning it to you. Yuki-dono won't like it, but if I order you to take Bee with you on this C-rank mission, only the daimyo can veto it. By the time that happens, the mission will be complete anyway. Therefore, you cannot wheedle your way out of it just because Bee will be there with you. That is all."

There was a long pause before Ay said, "Very well, Raikage-sama."

ooo

**Presently, Back Inside Noriko's Room**:

"Ojou-sama?" Ay asked in concern since my mouth was too busy collecting flies due to hanging so widely open. Then something outside my room caught his attention and distracted him.

"Oi, Bee! Come inside and introduce yourself properly! My apologies Ojou-sama. Bee is lacking in manners," Ay continued.

I vaguely heard Ay mention Bee being here too. I was mainly focused on why Ay specifically was here in the first place. He's the Raikage's son! They told me a shinobi who regularly guarded our perimeter would be guarding me!

As Bee walked in, my mind went into overdrive. WHAT. THE. HELL. WAS. GOING. ON!?

"Hajimemashite, Ojou-sama. My name is Bee / I promise to protect you, just wait and see! (**2**)" announced Bee in rap format.

Oh no, not Bee too. I forgot all about that horrendous rapping of his. What I did not understand was why they were here. They were extremely important shinobi to Kumogakure. Surely they had something better to do?

Furthermore, what happened that could possibly make the straight laced Yuki-sama let Bee onto the estate's grounds? I can see that he wouldn't care about me being exposed to Bee (not that I actually had a problem with Bee's jinchūriki status – it was the other facts about him that I had a problem with, such as his infernal rapping). It was the latest gossip that he was the new jinchūriki to the Eight-Tails. Wouldn't Yuki-sama and Nadeshiko-sama refuse to let the jinchūriki enter the estate? Wait, didn't Fuwa-sensei say something about Yuki-sama and Nadeshiko-sama leaving on an emergency business trip today?

Well, now Risa-san's warning to not be afraid of the shinobi made a lot more sense. What a bunch of hypocrites. I bet they were all ensconced on the opposite end of the estate if they hadn't managed to leave altogether.

That was when I realized Ay and Bee were waiting for my response to their introduction.

"Ah, Hajimemashite. My n-name is F-Fukui Noriko," I politely replied. I must be much more anxious than I thought if I was messing up so badly now. What a shame, and I was doing so well earlier with my speech. It seems my emotions are the key factor to my speech problems at this point.

As I took a deep breath and started calming down, I realized I would have never recognized them without their introductions. Ay looked so different from when he's in the Fourth Shinobi War while Bee looked to be around my age. Bee was so tiny compared to what he'll look like all grown up.

Huh, I guess this means I'm in the sensei age category compared to the Rookie Nine. It's good that I have confirmation about my place in the timeline. Any piece of knowledge I can gather might be useful one day.

Bee interrupted my thoughts by rapping, "So whya' stayin' / in this room chillin'?"

Okay, in addition to the annoying rapping, he has to be nosy too. This day just got better and better.

"Oi, Bee! You can't talk to the Ojou-sama that way!" shouted Ay.

Ay coughed and continued in a much more subdued manner, "So . . . what did you do anyway?"

. . .

They have no tact at all. Whatever, they seem persistent, so I'll just answer them. Then they'll get to guarding me.

"I rolled in the mud," I answered. No stutter – much better. I have regained control of my emotions for now. I can do this.

"On purpose / did you mess with Earth's surface?" Bee asked in bad rap.

I started counting backwards from ten in my head. I needed to experiment with anger relievers and decided to try this one since this kid was starting to get on my nerves.

"Yes," I replied. There was no point in lying. As Ay was an elite shinobi, he was bound to spot lies from an amateur such as myself immediately. Hence, there was no other option but to tell the truth. In any case, I didn't think it would be detrimental to my reputation to talk about this subject.

"Did you have a reason / or was it just the season?" Bee went on to rap and make a mockery of music everywhere.

I could totally feel an anger tic begin to form on my forehead. _'Stay focused._ _This is just an exercise to hone your anger management skills. It's no big deal,'_ I began to chant within my mind.

"Because I w-wanted to," I said.

"Let me retry / and ask again why?" Bee rapped again.

The anger tic was totally there now. Alright, where the hell was Ay? Looking around my room, I saw that Ay was nowhere to be found. I guess he went outside my room to take up his post there. Why didn't he take his little protégé along with him the inconsiderate prick? I was supposed to be _alone_.

"I need to go t-to . . . the bathroom. E-Excuse me," I said as I got up. My plan to stay calm was an epic failure.

Silence greeted this announcement. Finally, there'd be a moment of quiet as I made a trip to the bathroom, which was connected to my room via my dressing area.

I took my time in the bathroom and contemplated that I would have preferred to get anyone over the pair of shinobi I got to guard me.

Coming back into my room, there was a blessed silence and no sign of Bee. Yes! He must have gone outside to actually guard me like he was supposed to do. I promptly took a seat and began to meditate.

ooo

**Outside Guarding Noriko:**

"Brother?" Bee asked.

"What is it Bee?" replied Ay.

"Do you agree / that she doesn't hate me?" Bee rapped.

"Yes, it's curious, isn't it? She knows who you are. I could see that when we introduced ourselves. Plus, when I was watching you two talk, she was definitely annoyed and mad at you, but there was no hate in her," Ay agreed.

"I have concluded / that she isn't stupid," Bee added.

"No, she is not stupid," Ay said.

"I flipped / that her punishment is so strict" rapped Bee.

"Noble houses are peculiar Bee. The clan head holds traditions and values different from our own. It's just part of the differences between shinobi and civilians," said Ay.

ooo

**Back Inside Noriko's Room:**

I started my meditation with less important thoughts than those to take down my new family. My best ideas came when I used this method.

Despite living in this place for five years and a few months, I still did not understand many of the concepts that were widely accepted. Not only were the divisions between classes confusing, but the divisions between genders.

When Fujioka-sensei had taught me about my place as the daughter of the household, I could understand those rules. I despised them, but I also understood them. However, when she began to explain in the past few months of my lessons about the submission I would have to exhibit towards males, it made me very angry. Why did I have to walk five paces behind any male of the noble clans with my head tilted down? That was so humiliating! I could not bear to think of myself doing that for the rest of my life.

It created a whole new appreciation for how good I had it in my previous life. I had never been expected to act in such a way. My original parents had treated each other as equals that supported one another. This was the concept they nurtured in me and that I had adopted into my mentality. Just another motivation to rid myself of this place. None of the luxury available with the Fukui clan was worth it.

I had to figure out a new strategy to implement against Yuki-sama and Nadeshiko-sama. First, I needed information, but how was I supposed to attain any? I was not a shinobi that could snoop around at night. Well, I did have free reign of the estate, but what I needed to obtain would not just be lying around for anyone to find. I was also going to be continuously accompanied by an attendant from now on because of the mud stunt.

What's more is that there was no way I could get close to any main authority figures in my life. My senseis don't even like me and I spend hours with them, so charming information out of them was out. Moreover . . .

Breaking out of my current train of thought, I remembered something from my previous life. All politicians have skeletons in the closet and make some type of dirty deals. It is what often fueled the media of my time. Maybe that was my ticket towards their ruin? If I kept my ears open and listened, I could possibly find a pattern leading to something juicy enough to do some real damage. People hardly ever censored their words around me anyway due to my reputation of being slow.

At that, I came out of my meditation. I realized it was nighttime and time for me to go to sleep. The first day of no food or water was not so bad. I had even managed to block out my shinobi guards. I'd just have to keep it up tomorrow since that's when I'd probably start struggling with not having any food and water.

ooo

The next morning, I woke up with a dry throat and a hungry stomach. That's never a good way to start the day. Of course, I couldn't remember the last time I had a good morning.

After getting dressed in my simplest kimono (so I could put it on by myself – my attendants were not allowed to come and dress me again until tomorrow), there was a knock on my door.

"You may come in," I said once I had taken a seat by my kotatsu.

Bee came in. Oh joy. As he approached, I saw that he had a glass of water in his hands. Okay, that was cruel. He didn't have to flaunt my punishment in my face.

"It is dawning / so I'd like to wish you good morning," Bee rapped.

"Good morning," I said, expecting him to walk back outside my door to guard me. Instead, he just made himself at home on the other side of the kotatsu where I was currently sitting. He was really tempting me to smack that water out of his hands. Well, I'd try if he wasn't a shinobi who would easily block me. However, my main objective was to be discreet and not give away any hints for them to discover the true level of my intelligence. Thus, I would refrain from doing what I really wanted. Namely, taking that water away from him. What did he want anyway?

Bee got straight to the point, "I wanna' extend / an invitation to be your friend."

"Huh?" I asked. He was seriously asking that when he was taunting me with water? That's messed up.

"I don't mean to offend / I just wanna' be your friend," he said and held out the glass of water to me.

Oh. That's why he had water with him. A peace offering for yesterday because I got mad?

"Dry your eye / and please don't cry," Bee said.

I wasn't crying! What was he talking about?! I raised a hand to my face and realized in horror that I actually was crying.

"I'm not crying!" I vehemently denied. Why was I crying? What was wrong with me that I started crying randomly?

"No," I said quietly in answer to his question. I couldn't look him in the eyes. Grasping at straws, I stated softly, "And before you ask, it's because I only like samurai, not shinobi."

Bee was quiet. When I finally looked up, I saw that he had left the water and gone outside.

I eventually caved and drank the water, but I couldn't accept his friendship. I didn't want anything to tie me to this world. It would be a betrayal of my real family and friends. I had to stay strong. I didn't know what else to do.

In any case, shinobi were no more than tricksters. Didn't Kakashi say, "Look underneath the underneath?" How was I to know if Bee's offer was real in any manner? How could I possibly know anything about shinobi that they did not want me to know? I was foolish to have thought otherwise.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not meditate for the rest of the day. My thoughts were in too much turmoil.

ooo

In the early hours of dawn, once my mind had settled, I began to wonder.

I just can't catch a break, can I? This world must have a vendetta against me. First, there are no rights that I can possibly exploit, and now I was losing sight of myself. Who knew my resolve could be shaken so easily?

I'd just have to learn to keep it together. I knew this journey would not be easy. With any luck, Bee would forget all about his friendship declaration. Thank God it's not Naruto at least. Even if Bee had been sincere (which I highly doubt), he would become friends with Gyūki anyway. Besides, who says I would ever see him again? My punishment was over, and neither Bee or Ay were shinobi stationed around my estate. Plus I never left the estate.

Anyway, I do have twelve years and some number of months before my heinous marriage takes place. There was no need for me to panic.

ooo

(**1**) kotatsu are a special type of low Japanese table used in winter to keep warm

(**2**) I have no idea how to rhyme Japanese phrases so I'm using English only

**A/N**: I got some of the Naruto characters to show up at last.

I had fun writing this chapter. Do you hate it, like it, or love it? Feel free to let me know. I want to improve my writing, so reviews help.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: There is still no beta. Reviews are welcome.

Thanks again to all the favorites, follows, and reviewers for their support. You guys are the best! XD

ooo

**Chapter Four**

It had been a normal week after my punishment. No one ever spoke of it to me. I guess they figured child abuse was okay when it was sanctioned by Yuki-sama.

Finishing my walk in the rose garden, I left for my room with Yashiro-sensei acting as my escort for today. She had just arrived yesterday, and we had been getting to know each other. She had a softer attitude than my other two senseis. I'm not saying she was kind. Yashiro-sensei was just softer in character. Walking inside my room, I noticed a bouquet of white chrysanthemums on a stand by the window.

"What are those doing here?" I asked no one in particular. Flowers did not just appear in my room on a daily basis without my express wish for an arrangement. Yashiro-sensei crossed the room to inspect the picturesque flowers.

"Ah, what a lovely bouquet. Chrysanthemums have many meanings. They can mean friendship, truth, cheerfulness, and rest," recited Yashiro-sensei. Nothing less from my feminine arts sensei.

"Oh, and there's a letter attached for you Ojou-sama," she said with a hint of interest.

I had a bad feeling about this bouquet. As I opened the letter, my fears were confirmed.

ooo

**Yesterday In Training Field Eight of Kumogakure:**

"So, what's on your mind Bee?" asked Ay.

"I wanna' / learn to use a katana," Bee rapped.

"Okay, but this doesn't have anything to do with Noriko-sama's opinion about samurai and shinobi does it?" asked Ay.

"I wanted to learn before / but now I want to more!" Bee rapped exuberantly.

Ay smiled and said, "Alright, then let's start."

"Brother?" Bee asked.

"What now, Bee?" Ay asked in exasperation.

"Do you know of a gift / to mend a rift?" Bee inquired.

Ay just sighed and said, "You can never go wrong with flowers Bee."

ooo

**Presently Back Inside Noriko's Room:**

_Noriko-chan,_

_Let's start over_

_You don't have to be a loner_

_I'll lend you my shoulder_

_Should you ever wanna' be closer_

_You don't need to be afraid_

_Because I'll come to your aid_

_So let's be friends_

_OH YEAH!_

Okay, it was very obvious who sent me the flowers. The meaning of the chrysanthemums also became super clear. The cheek of that kid, adding "-chan" as if we were friends already. Huh, I hadn't realized he was already screaming, "OH YEAH!" in his lyrics at this age.

Honestly, I don't know how to respond. What's the proper etiquette in this situation? Why does he even want to be friends? We can't hang out and train. What I know about shinobi is mostly from the Naruto anime, and it was really only Naruto himself who made friends with the civilians. Those civilians were also mostly clients too. The only exceptions were Teuchi and Ayame from Ichiraku. No other ninja I knew of had civilian friends.

So what was Bee's purpose? There was so much I did not get in this world, but this had to be the most confusing so far.

I'll just think about it later. Something ought to come to mind.

ooo

In the afternoon, I bathed in the estate's onsen by myself. It was one of the few times I could get away from my senseis and attendants after the whole mud debacle. Here, I could just be myself and not worry so much.

Although recently, I'd been remembering my death. I had, up until this point, managed to keep it at bay through denial. I don't know what that says about myself, but it wasn't my main concern right now. I had absolutely no idea how to go about forgetting it.

Therapy of any kind did not exist here. If it did, there was no way I could talk about this with someone else. I had no desire to be considered slow _and_ insane. They'd lock me up and do who knows what with me.

I would have to figure out how to cope with it on my own. The images of my death usually came as nightmares, but they also had begun to plague me during the day. The nightmares had been bad enough, but it's quite horrible to wake up from a nightmare and then essentially live in a different one when awake.

Finishing my bath, I decided that since the only thing I really knew how to do was immerse myself in denial, it was the logical solution to my problem. It would not last forever, but it was my only option.

ooo

Sometime later during the night as I was sleeping, I heard a noise outside my room. Opening my eyes, I took a look around my room. There was nothing I could make out, so I just shrugged and went back to sleep.

ooo

Waking up the next morning, I found myself with a crick in my neck. Well, that's unusual. The next thing I noticed was that I was not in my room, but a forest.

How did that happen without me noticing?

"Finally up, _Ojou-sama_?" asked a creepy voice.

Turning towards the voice, I saw a man that had to be a shinobi. He exuded malevolent power. That was really the only way to describe him. It also became clear by the ropes tied around my hands and feet that I was a hostage. I can't believe I didn't notice that sooner.

This had to count as clear evidence that this universe was against me.

I've already died once. It shouldn't be too bad, unless the same sickos who put me in this reincarnation decided to play another game with my soul.

Suddenly, another shinobi came into the clearing. Ah, an accomplice.

Thinking about it more clearly now, these guys had to be Jōnin. There were many chūnin stationed around the perimeter of the Fukui estate – not to mention that the estate was _inside Kumogakure_. It was located on the edges of Kumogakure, but was technically still _inside_. How did these Jōnin manage to pull that off?

Yeah, I wasn't going to even try to escape. I may be vengeful, angry, hurt, and despondent – but I was not suicidal. Death didn't bother me, but I wasn't going to volunteer or anything.

"Seems Ojou-sama is gracing us with her presence today. It's about time you woke up. It has been a week," said creepy shinobi number two.

These guys had me in their evil clutches for a whole week?!

Uh-oh, melodrama is never a good sign. I needed to concentrate. They must be keeping me alive for ransom. That's got to be the only reason they've decided to cart a five year old around versus killing said five year old.

I suppose, being missing-nins that they're short on funds? These guys must also be very good too because they look relatively unharmed for having abducted me from inside one of the great five ninja villages. I really couldn't get past that fact.

At the moment, they were talking amongst themselves and waving a letter around. The two of them were becoming angrier by the minute. This was very disquieting. I highly doubt Jōnin missing-nin from Takigakure (**1**) would think it beneath them to take their anger out on a five year old.

A ninja summoning animal, a groundhog, popped out of the ground and delivered a message at that moment. The message seemed to diffuse the situation. Then creepy shinobi number one began to approach me while the other went off somewhere else.

"You must be some kind of hated Ojou-sama because your father refuses to pay the ransom to get you back. Here, read his letter," said creepy shinobi number one and shoved the first letter they had been waving around at me.

I skimmed the letter and found what he was talking about.

_I have no intention of paying such an exorbitant fee for a child that is not my heir. Daughters are meant to serve their family by bringing in money through engagements. Hence, she is no longer of any use to me._

"He's right. My second cousin is my father's heir," I accidentally said out loud.

This seemed to surprise my captors, the other of which must have come back while I was reading, and alerted me to the fact that I had spoken out loud.

"After your father sent us this letter, we received word from another source. It's your lucky day. You won't be meeting the Shinigami today. We are going to sell you as a political prisoner to Kawa no Kuni (**2**). It's a long way, but worth the price they offered: twice what we asked of your father," announced creepy shinobi number two.

Next, creepy shinobi number two hauled me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and leapt into the trees.

ooo

**Six Days Into Captivity:**

I felt like puking. My captors had been travelling nonstop to reach our destination. They were probably making doubly sure no one was able to catch them. The constant swaying from shinobi traveling methods was awful. It would not have been so bad had we taken regular breaks, but only two breaks a day were allowed for me to relieve myself in the bushes. The position I was being carried in did not help at all either. Hanging upside down over a shoulder was never fun.

I should puke. I should puke all over this creeper and then he'll be sorry.

Although who was I kidding? It would be disgusting, but all it would do is anger him into dropping me on purpose. These were shinobi, and they were made of sterner stuff than the criminals of my past life. I certainly didn't need to antagonize the guy into dropping me down from this height, which would paralyze me and add more problems to my already limited movements.

Eating and drinking were done on the go. This whole experience was much worse than my punishment from Yuki-sama had been.

Remarkably enough, I was not mad at my captors. No, I was angry with Yuki-sama. If he had just shelled out the cash, I wouldn't be going through this. I had overheard two of Yuki-sama's secretaries talking about our finances a month ago, and we were wealthier than I had previously thought. Yuki-sama was absolutely despicable! In my eyes, he was even more despicable than my captors because even though I had never acknowledged him as such, he was biologically my father. It made my desire for revenge reach new heights.

"We are now arriving at the capital of Kawa no Kuni. Be quiet and don't make a fuss. We'd like to keep our part of the bargain and bring you in unharmed, but exceptions can be made," said creepy shinobi number one from somewhere behind me. He then released some killing intent, which increased my urge to puke. Seriously, I got the picture. They were acting as if I had been misbehaving during this trip. They had severe aggression issues. Admittedly, they were unscrupulous missing-nin, so I guess it was a given.

ooo

My arrival in Kawa no Kuni was very odd. The daimyo of the country was busy and would grant an audience with me later, but in the meantime I was lead to where I would be staying while here. I was actually given a suite and told that if I behaved, in time they would allow me to roam the garden closest to my suite. That would be _such_ an honor.

I was also given a part-time attendant so that I could wear the fancy clothes I was accustomed to in this life. However, I was depressed because once again my plans had been foiled.

Alright, I needed to stop wallowing and think! Things could be worse than they are. I could have been given an impromptu lesson in torture before being sold. I just needed to roll with these changes in circumstance. How can I use my capture to my advantage? There has to be something. Maybe . . . nothing comes to mind. I have to figure out what the laws are like, but how? On my own estate this literature was deemed unfit for women, let alone a mentally challenged one.

Well, nothing asked, nothing gained. I got up and made my way across my prison-suite to open door.

"May I have an ink set, paper, and some literature to read while I'm here?" I politely asked my guard outside. This one was not a trained ninja. Hmm, my captors mustn't have the same budget as the Fukui in Kaminari no Kuni. Of course, my estate was inside Kumogakure while I was now in the capital of their country. Thus, their ninja village of Tanigakure was located elsewhere.

"I shall inquire for you Ojou-sama. Do you have any reading preferences?" my guard asked.

"Anything on the history of the five elemental nations and Kawa no Kuni please," I replied.

"Very well, Ojou-sama," he finished before going to get permission.

While waiting for the guard to come back, I continued brainstorming. I could experiment with physical therapy for myself. My attendant was only part-time, and I would be alone for hours during the day. There would be no one to question me and say, "Where did you get that idea? No one told you anything about science or medicine."

Movement would become all important if I needed to make an escape. Who knew if or when such an opportunity would arrive? I could wait all I wanted, but there was no point if I couldn't run away when an opportunity arose. Escape was actually a feasible choice in this country. Kawa no Kuni was far enough away from Kaminari no Kuni that I could blend into another country as a commoner without being recognized. I had technically been a peasant for much longer than my currently elevated status. Therefore, losing my belongings and status was no big deal to me.

Hmm, but if I was a commoner, how was I going to get my revenge? My plan needed lots of work. I did not want to be forced to choose between freedom and revenge. At this point, I have no idea which is more important to me.

The guard came back later with everything I had asked for. This place actually was much more accommodating than the Fukui estate. Maybe the rules for young ladies were less severe here? I couldn't wait to get started and begin reading. I would need as much in my arsenal as I possibly could acquire against Yuki-sama and Nadeshiko-sama. As soon as I had a concrete plan to bring them down, I needed to get back to Kaminari no Kuni. Better yet, maybe I could do it from here? That way it would be easier to sever the engagement.

I also decided to place any thoughts about freedom versus revenge from my brain. I did not have to think of it right now. After all, I was the Queen of Denial.

Excellent, now I have a game plan.

ooo

**Presently In Kumogakure:**

"Hey Bee, why don't we celebrate this last mission by eating some dango?" inquired Ay as he entered the village.

"Yeee-ah!" exclaimed Bee from beside him.

As Ay went inside a small dango shop to order, Bee waited outside due to the customer's attitude towards him. Ay was waiting for their dango when he and Bee overheard a conversation at a table situated inside the dango shop near the entrance.

"Oi, did you hear about the infiltration two weeks ago at the Fukui clan's estate?" said a man.

Ay and Bee became unnaturally still.

"No! What happened?" said his female companion.

"Apparently, two missing-nin Jōnin snuck into the village and abducted the Ojou-sama. That's not the worst part though," the man said with a bit of satisfaction to be repeating the story to someone that hadn't heard it yet.

"What? Keep talking and don't pause like that!" shouted the woman.

"Her father, Fukui Yuki, has refused point blank to pay the ransom to get her back. Along with that, he will not pay for a retrieval mission," finished the man.

The woman's answer was interrupted by the owner of the shop asking, "Hey, did you two see where Ay went? He was standing right here two minutes ago and now nothing. That boy is going to give me a heart attack one of these days."

The man glanced at his companion who quietly shook her head and said, "We didn't notice anyone."

The old dango shopkeeper grumbled about young whippersnappers as she made her back to the counter.

ooo

**A Minute Later in the Raikage's Office:**

"When Noriko-dono was kidnapped, one chūnin was able to send word to us through his summoned animal. We sent pursuers after her immediately. However, the trail went cold. We were only able to identify them as missing-nin Jōnin whose main claim to fame is infiltration. Ay, there is nothing more I can do. A formal investigation showed that the infiltrators only came for the girl. After the incident, our people have been busy finding the breaks in our security. This has been our number one concern, ensuring this does not happen again.

Furthermore, due to Yuki-dono's statements, the girl's retrieval is now a clan matter. It was out of our jurisdiction the moment Yuki-dono refused to send another retrieval team.

Moreover, her abductors sold her as a political prisoner to Kawa no Kuni. This is now an international incident. This means that only the daimyo can intervene, and he has showed no concern in this matter," stated the Raikage.

"So we're just going to let these two Jōnin missing-nin upstarts show us up in front of the Five Nations? We need to put an end to them and make it known that no one messes with Kumogakure and gets away with it!" yelled Ay.

"Raikage-sama, I won't sit around / while my friend's been taken from town!" Bee rapped.

The Raikage considered them.

"You make a valid argument Ay. I will try to open negotiations with the daimyo. This could give the other nations reason to believe we are weak and start the Third Shinobi War. In the meantime, I am placing both of you under observation. Neither of you are to leave the village to go after this girl or her captors until I say so," said the Raikage calmly.

Ay and Bee were unsatisfied, but said nothing to this.

ooo

**Two Weeks Later in a Forest Between Kusagakure and Amegakure:**

"Bee, we've almost caught up to them!" Ay reported.

Bee nodded silently and mentally prepared for the upcoming battle.

Two shinobi ambushed Ay and Bee at that exact moment with hundreds of flying kunai and shuriken. Dodging the projectiles with finesse, Ay and Bee separated for a counter-attack.

Ay immediately corralled the first shinobi while Bee came up from behind. They swung their fists forward towards their opponent for their combination move.

"Double Lariat!" both Ay and Bee shouted, taking care of their first opponent.

After seeing how quickly his partner had been taken out, the remaining shinobi tried to escape, but it was fruitless.

Ay viciously performed a lightning jutsu that completely incapacitated the shinobi.

"Other than infiltration, you're nothing to brag about," said Ay. He was disappointed by how easy it was once they had found their targets.

Bee approached for the killing blow.

"Now you're gonna' pay / for taking my friend away," Bee rapped quietly.

As the light went out the shinobi's eyes, he wished he had never listened to his partner and stolen that silly Ojou-sama.

"Bee, I'm sorry that we can't go after Noriko-sama. This incident has almost certainly guaranteed the Third Shinobi War. We need to prepare for it – you especially. You have to begin your training at Genbu (**3**). At least the Raikage gave us this mission," Ay tried to cheer Bee up.

"Brother . . ." said Bee quietly.

"Yes, Bee?" inquired Ay.

"Brother, there aint no worryin' allowed / cuz I'll make you proud!" Bee rapped determinedly.

Ay smiled and said, "Okay, Bee."

ooo

(**1**) Takigakure is the Village Hidden by a Waterfall and where Kakuzu is originally from

(**2**) Kawa no Kuni is the Land of Rivers and is between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire

(**3**) Genbu is the name of the turtle island Bee trains Naruto at (it's on Narutopedia)

**A/N**: Surprise! Did any of you see this coming? If you did, I'll give you a cookie. ;) Also, I will probably be posting once a week from now on.

*SEMI-SPOILER ALERT about Naruto*

All I want to say is that I'm glad at least Kakashi and Gaara were spared being paired up. The ending was too shoujo-ish for me because of all the pairings. Part of why I love fanfiction is because this is where I read about pairings (I like most actually) since people have so many good ideas.

*END of SPOILER*


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: There is still no beta. All reviews are welcome. :)

**THERE IS A TIME-SKIP **

ooo

**Chapter Five**

**_11 Years Later _**

**In Kawa no Kuni:**

The monotony of my days helped the passage of time. Reading, writing, speech practice, and physical therapy had been the routine of my days. The only time I was not alone was when my part-time attendant came to dress me in the mornings and evenings. She would gossip nonstop during these times. Any formal teaching had not been continued. It was a tactic they used to keep me uneducated and therefore pliable to whoever controlled me eventually. They did give me whatever books I wanted, but they probably thought I couldn't understand them without proper instruction (of which I received none obviously).

So many years had passed since my capture, but I didn't think I had matured mentally all that much. It was so restricted compared to my previous life. The life of an Ojou-sama was sheltered, and I had come to understand why most were so stupid. That is how they were raised to turn out before their marriage turned them bitter like Nadeshiko-sama had become. Even I had no real grasp of the world outside of politics and a limited view on ninja affairs. I had to consistently go through my memories from my previous life to keep them sharp and clear in my mind. It was the only love I had in this life, but it was also the greatest weapon I wielded to gain my freedom and revenge.

On the other hand, my physical therapy had paid off. I was only moderately clumsy now. I occasionally tripped or dropped an item, but it was much better than before. Many priceless china pieces were broken because of me, which is why they were banned from my room (Kawa no Kuni learned this quickly too). I would probably always lack the grace that was expected of me, but it was definite progress compared to wobbling around and constantly dropping items. Moreover, I no longer had to sit most of the time to avoid such happenings.

The Third Shinobi War took place because of me. That was news to me. From what I remember, it was the White Fang of Konoha that had done that.

I'd like to say that he lived, but the reports I overheard (discussed among the servants) of the White Fang revealed that he had still ended up the same way as in the anime.

I thought about this for some time over the years. If I had changed events in some manner, shouldn't everything in this world be out of whack? Did this mean there were some events that were predetermined and could not be altered? That, or did it just mean I am only one person – don't get arrogant and think you can change everything by merely existing!

Whatever the case may be, at least I spared Kakashi the stigma of having a dad who started the Third Shinobi War _and_ dishonored himself on a mission. He only had to deal with the second issue. Not that I truly cared, but it was interesting to take note of. It gave me at least one clue to what I could get away with and what might limit my actions in this world because the universe and fate are definitely real. I had way too much evidence to prove it.

Most frustratingly of all, I had figured out my position in this game fate had thrown me into. I was trapped. For the last eleven years, I had memorized and combed through the laws of every nation hoping to find an answer to ending my engagement. I had hoped for diplomatic immunity somewhere, but there was nothing of the sort in this world.

As a political prisoner, I was bound to my engagement within Kaminari no Kuni until another replaced it. That was the point of political prisoners after all. There were two obvious ways to use them. One, to create a bond through marriage, as was my case. This would not be far-fetched either since I was now sixteen. Two, use the political prisoner as a hostage to threaten their country.

My uncle being the daimyo of Kaminari no Kuni made me priceless to a small nation like Kawa no Kuni. I didn't want to replace one engagement with another. That was only going in circles.

My previous plan to discover the dirty deals of the Fukui clan had been impossible from Kawa no Kuni because they wouldn't know anything about the Fukui. I had to be on the estate grounds for that plan to have worked in my favor. Now my time was almost up. I had a year and a half before my engagement.

My circumstances did not improve my disposition. I felt like a lab rat. Born and bred within set parameters to produce specific results.

My freedom and revenge were all consuming to me. They were still, after all this time had passed, the only things I cared about in addition to my memories of the past. At this point, even I could acknowledge that the way I clung to the past was pathetic, but I don't care. I'm okay with being pathetic. My memories were my rock in this storm and the only reason I hadn't fallen apart after so many changes in circumstance. In essence, to me, it did not feel like much time had passed at all. Whoever said, "Time heals all wounds," was clearly a liar.

ooo

That morning, one of the servants to the daimyo of Kawa no Kuni came to my door with a summons for a dinner party with diplomats from around the continent. That's different since I'm usually ignored. What could be going on?

"Your answer, Ojou-sama?" the servant asked. That was a formality, everyone knew I couldn't ignore a summons from Kawa no Kuni's daimyo.

"I shall be there," I answered. For me, I had always counted myself lucky to be excluded from such events. I was banking on the saying, "Out of sight, out of mind." That way I could be left to plot in peace.

Events like this were a huge inconvenience. The formal robes required for such an event take five hours to put on with the appropriate accessories. Multiple attendants had to help me dress in these cases. My robes took even longer than ever before because I had filled out a lot and the attendants needed to bind my chest so the flow of the robes lay correctly. The long hair adorning my head also took up a good chunk of time.

ooo

The party was in full swing, and there was a quiet hum of voices tinged with fatigue from the sumptuous feast being eaten. The ladies were seated behind a partition on one side while the men were sectioned off on their own side of the room. It had been dragging on for two hours, and I wanted to go back to my own prison-suite already. Sitting in the seiza style for so long can do that to a person, no matter how long they have been practicing it. The excessively expensive kimono I was wearing also really restricted my movements, which included breathing. It made me wonder if it was designed that way on purpose to make it harder for women to run away.

Finally, a servant quieted everyone with a gong, and there was an immediate stillness. At that, the daimyo of Kawa no Kuni had the partition drawn back, which was a big deal. This was only ever done on special occasions.

"I'm glad everyone could make it here today. I have an important announcement to make," he went on.

Oh crap, was he going to announce that I have a new engagement?

Holding my breath, I continued to listen.

"The Third Shinobi War is finally over," he paused and many people broke out in frantic whispers. I let out the breath I'd been holding in relief that it was nothing about me.

Coughing to regain the audience's attention, he continued, "That is not all. When the five elemental nations go to war, we usually have to make concessions to Hi no Kuni and Kaze no Kuni. However, this time we were able to negotiate a deal favorable to us. In exchange for no new tributes to either country, we shall be trading Fukui Noriko to Hi no Kuni. There, she will be held while further treaty negotiations take place between the five elemental nations."

That was actually much better than what I was expecting. Oh, it was a surprising turn of events, but overall okay. Although it was crass to announce that Kawa no Kuni was selling me at a dinner party (at least in my opinion). It just shows that breeding isn't everything. I wonder what I should do to prepare for my journey to Hi no Kuni? All my planning in this lifetime had been moot. Maybe I should try playing it by ear? That always struck me as foolish though.

ooo

**A/N: **Alright, this is short, but that's due to my spur of the moment decision to post again. I'm not going to mention a posting schedule again since I never abide by one. By the way, this is the only time skip I have planned. Also, if you hated this, liked it, or loved it – please comment so I can know what you think. I would like to improve my writing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: There is no beta and reviews of any kind are welcome. :)

Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviewers for their support!

ooo

**Chapter Six**

**At the Gates of Kumogakure:**

"Bee, I already told you that you can't come to the negotiations of the peace treaty. You are our jinchūriki, and I will not risk you among the other Kages. Besides, diplomacy will be needed there," Ay said.

"Brother, I hope you try / not to let your temper fly

And let me know / that bringing Noriko back is a go," rapped Bee.

"How many times must I repeat that yes, I will try to negotiate her release into our custody. However, you should understand that there can never be any guarantees in negotiations among the Kages. We cannot show weakness because of some civilian girl – no matter her station as a noble, so stop being so persistent," Ay replied.

Bee just stared at his brother stonily.

Ay tried a different tactic. He said, "Bee, she won't be the same person anymore. Time changes people. It might be better to just leave her alone."

Bee was quiet for an instant.

"I know, but being alone / she's already in that zone

And you can't keep me here / if I want to be there," Bee rapped in a warning.

Ay contemplated that statement. Finally, he said, "Fine, you can join my delegation."

"OH YEAH!" Bee exclaimed and thrust his hand in the air with the rock-on hand symbol.

"Uh, what about the limit on delegates Raikage-sama?" one of the two delegates asked.

"Oh, right. You can take his place," the Raikage stated with an annoyed wave of his hand.

"O-okay, I'll just leave then," said the unfortunate delegate.

"You can patrol the gate since you're here already and relieve somebody else," Ay continued as the idea struck him.

"Hai, Raikage-sama," the ex-delegate replied a bit crossly since that was considered the most unpopular duty among the shinobi of Kumogakure.

Ay never noticed as he was too busy keeping an eye on his unique brother as they left for the treaty negotiations in the capital of Hi no Kuni. Ay could tell he would never get any rest until he came back to Kumogakure since he was going to have his hands full on this journey.

ooo

**In Kawa no Kuni:**

My day of departure arrived. I was allowed to bring all the clothes and accessories I had accumulated over the years. If I was the daimyo, I would have made me leave most of that. I had a lot of gold in my accessories. I guess it was in bad taste to send me off looking like a pauper. _Nobles_. I had lived as one for sixteen years, and I still could not adjust to their way of thinking.

"Ojou-sama, we are ready for departure," said a guard.

I stood in the outer courtyard of the palace in Kawa no Kuni for the last time (thank goodness). Looking around, I saw that there was only one shinobi from Tanigakure and four regular guards.

"Is this group all that makes up my guard?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, Ojou-sama," replied the guard.

Well, the daimyo sure spared _no_ expense. I really mean that because he was totally cutting corners by sending me off with these half-baked guards. There were only five of them. Sure, I couldn't ever hope to overpower them, but only _one_ shinobi was being sent with me? That's just insulting. Okay, I am a prisoner, but wasn't I important in this business deal? Of course, in this life I had never seen ninja battle each other or understood the costs for missions since my knowledge was based on the anime Naruto. Nevertheless, I still thought it was petty and not smart at all. The daimyo must have been pretty upset about letting me keep the jewelry and such. For him, it wouldn't matter if anything got lost because it's not like he was able to keep it anyway. The main priority of the journey is that I get to Hi no Kuni safely.

Oh, and there's the palanquin over by the main gate. Next to that were many horses laden down with my luggage and supplies needed for the trip. I wonder why they don't use mules or donkeys. It's probably not considered regal to use them, which is dumb because it would be more efficient.

It appears that my guards will be helping to take care of the livestock on this trip. I'm assuming the palanquin bearers would be too tired to do so. That actually gave me malicious satisfaction. If I had to suffer, then they should too. I did not look forward to using the bathroom along the trip. I was aiming to hold everything until we arrived at our stopping places each day (inns along the main roads), but it was probably a futile ambition.

There were also two female attendants coming on this journey too.

One of the undersecretaries to the daimyo was sending his wife along with me. She's here to keep up appearances. As an ojou-sama, I cannot be travelling in a large group of males like this without a female chaperone. Attendants don't count as chaperones since they have no authority. It's to protect my virtue. I suppose that's an issue now as opposed to when I was five. The rules concerning my protection had become stricter over the years. Though how two women like us would stop anyone if they really wanted to go ahead with that is beyond me.

The total group is quite a few people traveling together. It was going to be murder travelling like this.

"Ojou-sama," the undersecretary's wife said.

"Hai?" I asked politely and turned to face her.

"We will be traveling for four days until we reach the border of Hi no Kuni. At that point, our guards will hand you over to their shinobi. Also, a lady of Hi no Kuni's court shall take over chaperoning you as well at that time. I expect you to behave on this trip, Ojou-sama. You would do well to remember that I outrank you here since you are a prisoner and that I cannot abide children. That is all," the old biddy finished and walked away to her own palanquin.

I could tell I was going to have _so_ much fun on this trip.

ooo

**Day Four of the Trip from Kawa no Kuni to Hi no Kuni:**

"Guard!" a shrill voice shrieked.

"Yes, Oba-sama?" the guard replied. Yes, he could get away with that since she technically is not of noble blood. He husband ruthlessly shoved his way up the political ladder. My attendant had been gossiping shamelessly for the whole trip whenever she could. The chaperone chosen for me showed how much the daimyo cared for my well-being. The whole court of Kawa no Kuni was relishing her absence, I just knew it.

"I heard a noise over there, go see to it at once!" she demanded.

"Hai, Oba-sama," he replied and did as she said. After checking the area, he came back five minutes later.

"It was a squirrel, Oba-sama," the guard reported to her.

"Very well. How much longer until we get to our next rest spot?" the old biddy wanted to know.

"We will arrive there in four more hours, Oba-sama," the guard answered.

"Humph," the old biddy replied and shoved her window closed with a snap.

Power-trip anyone?

Good gracious, but that woman ought to be left behind in a ditch or at least gagged. I could unmistakably hear her caterwauling from my own palanquin some distance away.

At that moment, pandemonium struck.

I heard shouting and the clanging of metal on metal. We were under attack. The door was pulled open, and a guard appeared before me.

"Quickly, Ojou-sama! Get on this horse and get out of here! We've been completely surrounded, but I'll try to cut a path for you," the guard shouted over the din and unceremoniously dumped me on a horse he had brought to me.

There was lot of noise surrounding us. I couldn't hear much over the pounding of my own heart. I was tense and constantly looking around. Fighting was going on everywhere. Bandits had overtaken many of the horses that were carrying valuables while the guards were focused on getting the old biddy and I to safety.

I saw a mangled corpse to my left and felt bile rise in my throat. I quickly averted my eyes and thought of getting out of here instead.

At last, a path was cleared for me and the guard shoved my horse in that direction. I had never ridden a horse in this life, but I had in my previous one. That knowledge came in handy now. I urged my horse forwards and quickly left the scene.

I was riding for around thirty minutes before I came to a stream. It seemed no one had bothered to pursue me just yet. However, I wasn't going to take any chances. The stream was very shallow, so I guided my horse into the stream and continued to trot downstream. I never allowed my horse to leave the stream. This way the tracks would end at the bank of the stream and buy me some time. I'm just glad it was summer so the water wasn't so cold and I could get the horse to cooperate with me.

Now that I had a moment, I glanced at the saddlebags. Please let there be supplies and no luggage in there. I really needed a bite of food right now. Plus, maybe there could be something in there I could use for this little escape.

I had no idea what to do now. Should I try to get to Hi no Kuni and hand myself over? I had at least a full day before Hi no Kuni heard of this and sent people after me. I either needed to cover as much distance as possible or let myself be found. It seemed the awful moment had come for me to choose between revenge and freedom. Dread filled me.

Well, first I needed to see what I had to work with. Opening the saddlebags, I saw it must have belonged to one of the attendants. There was a spare change of clothes, sewing kit, dried fruit, and a hairbrush. At least I had some food. The stream I was in seemed okay, so I had a water source too. I wanted to keep to the stream because I thought I'd come across a village to get directions from. Many settlements and civilizations were created near bodies of water, so that was my plan.

Oh no. I had no idea on how to make a fire. As a child in my previous life, on a camping trip I had tried to rub two sticks together, but it had never created a spark of flame. My original mother had laughed and shown me the wonders of a lighter. I had no lighter in this saddlebag. I would have to drink the water without boiling it. This went against my germaphobic nature, but it was that or die of dehydration.

I decided that for now, I would keep traveling. My horse had plenty of energy left. I also needed to ration my dried fruit. There was no way I could fish. Not only had I never fished before, I didn't have the equipment or most importantly the time needed. I was not going to sit around and let those bandits catch up to me.

I didn't know if I should utilize the spare clothes or not. If I wanted to escape into freedom, I would need them to blend in with other people. My current attire screamed, "I'm a filthy rich Ojou-sama!" However, if the bandits caught up with me, I would need to be an Ojou-sama. My status would provide some protection from being raped. I could try bargaining a ransom, not that it had worked in the past, but they wouldn't know that. It might buy me protection and time to escape before anything like that happened. I knew my strengths. I would never be able to overpower anyone, so deceit it was.

There were still so many variables I wasn't aware of and that frustrated me. I didn't know if the bandits even cared I had gone. Maybe they only wanted the goods we were carrying with us, but they might have wanted to kidnap me too. There might not be any village along this stream for several days. The food I had was only enough for two days at the most. What did the temperature drop to at night? I had nothing but the clothes in the bag and what I wore to keep me warm. I felt so lost. What was I supposed to do? I just didn't know anymore. All this experience revealed to me was that I was weak. How could I do anything? I didn't even know how normal people lived in this world. How could I ever hope to blend in with them? As I thought of this, I felt the adrenaline leave my system and let the tears I had been holding back fall.

ooo

**A/N**: What are your opinions on this chapter? Review and let me know. :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: There is no beta and reviews of any kind are welcome. :)

Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviewers for their support!

ooo

**Chapter Seven**

It had been a hard day. My horse was tired, so I decided to dismount. As I was doing this, my exhaustion overwhelmed me and I fell to my knees in the water, which soaked the lower half of my disheveled white kimono. Slowly standing, I drew near to the horse, grabbed the reins, and began walking along beside it. Every step was felt by my whole body. I could barely move forward, and the pace I set was so slow. The saddle sores worsened my condition as well.

My priority now was to find a place to sleep. As I walked in the stream, I kept searching each side of the bank for a clue as to where to go. Up ahead, I spotted a turn in the bend. Once there, I lead the horse out of the stream and walked on dry ground for the first time since midmorning. As dusk was approaching, I knew I had to find a place soon.

Walking for about another two hours at a snail pace, I came upon a pile of tall rocks. They formed a sort of semi-enclosure. It would provide enough shelter. I tied the horse's reins tightly to a tree branch, which was difficult because night had come fast and it was very dark now. I also needed to keep the horse nearby in case I had to leave quickly.

The kimono I was wearing had to be exchanged for the attendant's attire since it was wet and I could not afford pneumonia on top of these circumstances. After changing and brushing my hair, I found the softest patch of dirt and laid down. Looking up at the sky, I saw the stars for the first time in this world. Nighttime was exclusively for adults when I was at the Fukui estate and as a political prisoner, nighttime was just forbidden for me to wander around outside. The stars were so numerous and I could see them shine so brightly. It made a magnificent impression, and yet part of me hated it. Seeing the stars made me realize how much of a prisoner I had been in this life. It was a stupid realization, but being a political prisoner had been more surreal than anything. Despite being outside, there was no sense of freedom, just the feeling of helplessness.

Trying to fall asleep was hard. The temperature had dropped and it was chilly. Curling into a ball had helped, but not much. That's when I remembered. I remembered that mangled corpse and felt the bile come rushing back.

I had to get up. I tried to run to the nearest bush, and I almost tripped on my way but made it in time to empty my stomach. That wasn't good. I needed those calories.

This was bad, now I knew I'd probably not get much sleep. Seeing a dead body in real life was so different than on TV. There was no comparison. The sight of the entrails splattered over the body and the smell of decay had been utterly overwhelming. All the other details of the attack were blurred. I kept seeing that corpse over and over. I put my arms around myself to keep warm, but it wasn't working. Nothing felt like it was working. So thinking, I laid down again and after staring at the sky for a long time, drifted to sleep.

ooo

**The Next Day in the Capital of Hi no Kuni:**

"Today, we will further discuss peace treaty negotiations. It was determined by Mizu no Kuni (**1**), Kaminari no Kuni, Kaze no Kuni, and Hi no Kuni that the negotiations accomplished in Tetsu no Kuni (**2**) were inadequate. To expedite matters, it was agreed upon to meet in Hi no Kuni rather than Tetsu no Kuni," stated the modulator who happened to be from Tetsu no Kuni.

All the Kages were gathered in a circle with their delegates stationed behind them.

Ay dove right in saying, "What does Hi no Kuni want with Fukui Noriko? She is a child of Kaminari no Kuni."

Oonoki interrupted with, "Well that's news to my ears. Didn't her clan and Kumogakure abandon her to missing-nin?"

Ay stood immediately and shouted back, "We did no such thing!" The chair he had been sitting in flew backward and smashed into pieces against the wall.

Sarutobi decided to intervene at this point and said, "Hi no Kuni has no real reason to bother with her other than to make sure Kaminari no Kuni stays in line."

"What do you mean by that?!" asked Ay threateningly.

"Many times in the past Kaminari no Kuni has taken measures to go back on their word with Hi no Kuni. We are simply ensuring this does not happen again," Sarutobi answered calmly.

A scared looking minion of the modulator came in with a spare chair for the Raikage. They carefully walked along the edges of the room and pushed the chair in the Raikage's direction about halfway across the room from said Kage. Then they cautiously slinked out of the room.

Oonoki decided to get another rise out of the Raikage and spoke, "I suppose now that someone else has your toy, you want it back?"

"Shut up Oonoki! No one wants to hear you babble!" Ay yelled back before sitting in his new chair.

Another shinobi entered the room then. It was one from Konohagakure.

The Yondaime Kazekage rebuked the Hokage, "You know that only two delegates are allowed inside this meeting room."

Oonoki threw his two cents in as well, "I underestimated you Sarutobi. I never knew you liked to stir up so much trouble by allowing the Yellow Flash to make an appearance here today. That's an affront to my nation. You have a lot of nerve showing your face before me, Yellow Flash."

Namikaze Minato spoke, "I am sorry to interrupt, but this is an emergency. Fukui Noriko's traveling group was attacked yesterday and she is currently missing. We await your decision on how to proceed, Hokage-sama."

Ay spoke before Sarutobi, "Wait, how did this happen?"

Minato looked at Sarutobi first, who nodded at him, and so Minato answered, "Before her group arrived at Hi no Kuni's border, a large group of bandits attacked. One of the guards was able to get her a horse and away from the fighting. Another guard was able to make it to the meeting point and report what occurred. There were no other survivors. Fukui-sama has not been seen since then."

"I demand that one of my shinobi be allowed to find and escort her here," Ay said.

Sarutobi looked at him before saying, "This is a matter for Konohagakure to deal with. Fukui Noriko is under our jurisdiction and we don't need your shinobi to help us track her down. In addition, Namikaze Minato will be named Hokage after these meetings formally come to a close. Therefore, he is all that is needed to retrieve Fukui Noriko."

"Yes, but she might not go willingly with your shinobi. She is imperative to this meeting for you, is she not? One of my delegates is familiar with Fukui-sama and can easily persuade her to come here with no hassle. You know how nobles are delicate, she may hold up our negotiations if she refuses to come here," Ay tried.

"Hmm. Very well, one of your delegates may go with Namikaze-san to retrieve Fukui-sama. However, this will cost you in the negotiations," Sarutobi haggled.

Ay knew there would be an incident if he didn't get Bee permission to go. Stubborn fool would probably go anyway. Then they'd rekindle the war all over again.

"Agreed," Ay replied. "Bee, get to work."

"Bringing her back is the plan / so I'll do everything I can!" Bee said before leaving with Namikaze-san.

ooo

**Somewhere in a Forest:**

Waking up was ghastly. My body had jerked awake upon hearing the serenade of some nasty bird that had no feelings towards my plight. I had very little sleep during the night and my body was still suffering the effects of my escape from the day before. It was like being five all over again. My mobility had been limited once more. This was to be expected since I wasn't as healthy as normal people, nor had I ever gone through such a strenuous ordeal.

For breakfast, I had a hankering for a roasted bird over a fire. Unfortunately, the bird had me severely outclassed. It sang from a tree branch much too high for me to climb (if I had even known how) and was, therefore, safe from my hungry stomach. I had to content myself with a rationed portion of dried fruit.

My hair was thoroughly brushed out and I used a ribbon to tie it into a ponytail. It was more efficient for my current circumstances.

Next on my immediate to-do list was a moment I had been avoiding. How _did_ one use the restroom in the outdoors? I had no toilet paper. Was I supposed to use leaves? That was horrifying. They were small. Did I use a handful of leaves? I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to dig a hole too. What if there were bugs on the leaves that were too small to notice? Okay, don't think about it anymore, just do it.

Finishing that painful experience, I sat down exhausted already. The horse had stayed with me through the night at least and not gotten loose. Now what was I going to do? There wasn't much time before a tracking party from Konoha came for me. I had to make a decision shortly. Yet, the time frame didn't get me thinking any better or faster. I still didn't know what to do. Seriously, was my resolve just hot air? Was I all talk and no action? Even if I acted, what could I do? I had no idea where the next town or village was.

Uh-oh. Which way was the river again? Checking around the area, I tried to find the hoof prints the horse left getting to this spot, but couldn't find them. Had they eroded away in the night? How could that be? There was no rain. Maybe the dew? Was dew strong enough to do that? Wait, the ground here is hard and compact. It had those tall rocks around too. Maybe the horse hadn't left tracks discernable to my untrained eyes. That would make the most sense. Great, now I didn't know where the stream was either.

That. Heinous. Bird. Kept. Singing. That was it! It was taunting me. Ergo, it needed to die. That _thing_ was sitting there all smug. I surveyed my surroundings. There was nothing I could do other than chuck enormous boulders the same size as myself at it. That's all I had to work with. I had to content myself with glaring at it and imagining the delicious stew I'd make with it after I killed it in my mind.

ooo

Namikaze Minato and Bee traveled in silence across the border and into Kawa no Kuni. They eventually reached the stream Noriko had used and stopped to examine it.

"It seems she traveled through the stream to avoid creating any tracks. Not many nobles would have thought of that," Minato said sounding slightly impressed.

Bee just ignored the man for the most part and motioned that he had found something. From the left side of the tracks, he had found a small piece of white cloth inside the stream peeking out from under a rock.

Seeing that, they both took off in that direction. It wasn't long until they found her makeshift campsite.

Upon arrival, they saw her facing away from them. She had on simple clothes and her ponytail fanned out like a flame in the wind. In addition, she … well, it looked like she was in a one-sided glaring match with a bird.

"Uh, why don't you take it from here?" Minato suggested since it looked like the rumors were true and she really was crazy. He already had to deal with Kushina and she was special in her own way, but he really didn't want get too involved if he didn't need to. He would introduce himself when they started the journey back to Hi no Kuni.

Bee approached Noriko without a care and in a friendly shout said, "Yo, whatcha' doin' / bird viewin'?"

ooo

"Huh?" I turned around and asked.

Spotting Bee, I wondered why he was here. I don't get it. Where was Konoha's tracking team?

"What are you doing here?" I asked in curiosity. Getting over the fact that he was here, I saw that he looked very similar to his appearance in the Fourth Shinobi War. The only real difference was the bandanna he had now for his hitai-ate rather than a standard headband plus no facial hair. What the heck did they feed him, jinchūriki fertilizer? He had been so small before and now he was colossal.

Whoa, what if this was someone using a henge?

"What flower was in my room when I was kidnapped at five years old?" I asked. This wouldn't work if it was a Yamanaka and they read my mind, but I'm pretty sure I'd feel them take over my body first. Unless it was a high ranking user of the technique.

Bee leaned his head to the side and answered, "Chrysanthemums be the name, / but I ain't playin' no game. My offer still stands / let's be friends." He had said the last sentence almost gently.

That definitely confirmed it was him.

"It's been over ten years. I don't understand you. We knew each other for what, two days?" I replied.

There's no way I'm going to believe him. He should just worry about himself. He's one of the few people I can think of that has more problems than myself. He was used by Kumogakure in the same way I was pawned around wherever people deemed me most useful to them. He had never known a traditional family's love, the closest thing he had was Ay. His best friend was Gyūki. He should just move along with that. I had my past life to comfort me. There were similarities between us now that I thought about it, but there's no way I could be a good friend to him (if he was, in the unlikely event, being truthful). I was only concerned with myself and I had no intention of using people, especially those like him, to get my revenge. Oh no, I wanted that satisfaction all to myself to savor when I was finally successful. _I _wanted to take down Yuki-sama and Nadeshiko-sama.

How could Bee stand to be used by Kumogakure? I still didn't understand him, but even more so, I did not want to ever stoop to the same level as Yuki-sama and Nadeshiko-sama.

I didn't know how to make Bee think badly of me, not without crossing a line I did not wish to. Once again, I had no idea on how to proceed. Maybe being straightforward would be best? However, before I could do anything, I passed out.

ooo

(**1**) Mizu no Kuni is the Land of Water

(**2**) Tetsu no Kuni is the Land of Iron

**A/N**: It is never exactly explained in the anime how peace treaties and negotiations occur, which is why I created my own rules to blend with facts I do know from the anime. There is always room for improvement, so leave a review and let me know what you thought. :)

Also, I am aware that Minato told Ay when they fought that when they met again they would most likely each wear the title of Kage. The key words there are _most likely_. He is not a seer.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: There is no beta and reviews of any kind are welcome. :) Also, this is a bit short because it was a good stopping place.

Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviewers for their support!

ooo

**Chapter Eight**

"It's good you have people important to you. I thought your brother was the only one," Minato said as the group travelled through the forest to Hi no Kuni.

Bee looked at him and said, "About jinchūrikis, ever since we fought, / I've been thinknin' you know a lot / Bakayarō! / Konoyarō! (**1**)"

"Ah, I do. I'm very surprised a civilian is okay with your status though. I bet your friendship is a funny tale, though it looks like you still have a way to go with her," Minato said glancing at Noriko. He took no offense to the name calling. After all, not much time had passed since the war ended. Anyway, their priority was the Ojou-sama and they needed to put their personal feelings behind them for the moment.

Noriko was being carried by Bee since he wouldn't put it past Minato to mark her with the Hiraishin, which would make it impossible to let her into Kumogakure again. They couldn't have the Yellow Flash showing up willy-nilly in their ninja village. Bee had to remove and then regrow that octopus tentacle Minato had marked during their battle in the Third Shinobi War. Noriko certainly didn't have any of those to spare, so Bee was keeping a careful eye on her.

Minato continued, "In any case, she does feel safe with you. It seems the Raikage was telling the truth. The minute you answered her questions, she relaxed. It's why she passed out. She was keeping up a brave front, but once she relaxed, the fatigue caught up with her."

Bee looked down at Noriko thoughtfully. As he did, Noriko began to stir.

ooo

The first thing I noticed is that the stupid bird wasn't singing anymore. Ugh, I feel so lethargic. I don't want to wake up. Although, this feels like the weirdest place I've ever slept. It feels kind of mobile, but that wasn't possible because beds don't move. This is fishy.

So thinking, I immediately opened my eyes, only to find myself travelling with Bee. That explains the mobility. Hold up, is that Minato?

At that, he said, "Hajimemashite, my name is Namikaze Minato and I am your escort from Konohagakure."

"Hajimemashite, my name is Fukui Noriko," I replied even though he had to already know who I was. I just didn't know what else to say, so that's what I ended up saying.

I guess I have no choice but to go back to square one. Time was sneaking up on me and I had nothing to work with. I felt fear grab a firm hold of me. Though maybe I should rest and think of it later. The fear was probably clouding my judgment. Therefore, making any kind of choices was not a wise idea right now.

Bee pulled me from my thoughts by asking, "Are you alright? / You look a fright."

Yeah, that's what every girl wants to hear when she's panicking. Though it did provide a nice distraction to focus on something else.

"There aren't exactly luxury items floating around the wilderness for anyone to partake of. If so, everyone and their cousin would dress like a daimyo," I replied waspishly.

That's when I remembered I had fainted. Oh my god, that's embarrassing. I fainted like some medieval princess who couldn't count, let alone make decisions for herself. I had to relax.

"No need to be flustered-"

"I'm not flustered!" I shouted. Stupid ninjas and their body language reading capabilities. Can't they leave a body in peace?

"- or to bluster," finished Bee.

Oh yeah, I was about to respond to his offer of friendship before I passed out. Hmm, should I just leave it alone? Yeah, I'll just leave it alone and maybe he'll take a hint. Though strangling him sounds really nice right now, it ought to answer his question. If I could ever make it that far, naturally.

Now that I think about it, how long has Minato been here? Was he watching from the shadows ever since Bee showed up? Oh, no. Have I given my intellect away? I don't think I've done anything smart recently. I mean, I was just trying to get away from those bandits and then went to sleep. I can't ask either, on the off chance he _doesn't_ know. This is so complicated. Hmm, the only thing I can think of is the henge question. That might have given me away. However, knowing that shinobi use henge is common knowledge right? Nobles do attend chūnin exams, so knowing that much can't be considered smart, right? Okay, it was known that I was a prisoner and had never attended one, but someone could have talked about it with me. Oh, no. Calm down, think about something else. Traveling is nice. Travel enriches the soul. Travel, well, it's just annoying.

Though I will admit that the way Bee and Minato travelled was so much nicer than when I was five. Of course, they weren't running away from possible pursuers. The breeze was pleasant and the pace wasn't jarring to me. It was smooth travelling, like on a boat or in a car. Although I didn't know where to place my hands. Bee was carrying me bridal style and were my hands supposed to be clasped together in my lap? Was I supposed to keep them at my sides? Maybe I should just ask? This position was weird.

"What's the proper protocol for hand placement in this situation?" I asked in confusion.

"You're doing just fine," Minato surprisingly answered for me.

"Okay," I said.

"Oh, yeah. Bee, thanks for coming with Namikaze-san. I probably would have died out here on my own," I admitted. Good heavens. A few years as a noble and I forget how to say thank you. Minato was there on orders, so he would have come anyway. Bee was just nosy (albeit helpful).

It's true though. Realistically speaking, I had been lost before they found me. There was no decree saying I was supposed to find my way out and live. There was no saying my food would even last the projected two days. I could have run into unfriendly foes too. That's assuming I found water again, because dehydration would probably be what killed me off first. There was a good probability that I would have died out here. I have no idea how to function in this world without attendants. If there was more technology available, I could figure things out along the way, but that wasn't feasible here.

Fate only really cared about the infamous Team 7 of Konoha. Well, Bee was necessary. Fate needs Bee alive to teach Naruto to control Kurama and currently, only Kumogakure has anything like Genbu. Thus, there was a need for Bee to at least live up to the Fourth War.

It was ridiculous, but during this little think session inside my mind, I could feel myself dozing off. My head was bobbing then jerking back up. I should just give in and sleep. That's how I ended up using Bee's arm and chest as a pillow. I never heard him say you're welcome.

ooo

**In the Capital of Hi no Kuni:**

The Raikage and his other delegate were resting in their suite preparing for the meetings which were to resume as soon as Bee and Namikaze-san returned with Fukui Noriko. The other delegate, Darui, was resting in a chair as Ay paced back and forth.

"What could be taking them so long?" Ay bit out in frustration.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to make up for it at the meetings," Darui said.

"Nothing better happen. I'll skin him alive if he starts the Fourth Shinobi War! With the same girl as the catalyst no less!" Ay shouted and threw the nearest object, which happened to be a couch, out the window.

An employee of the inn was soon knocking at the door asking what the commotion was all about. When he got a look at the window and missing couch, he turned a very dark red.

Darui tried to do damage control and was apologizing profusely to the incensed employee.

Meanwhile, a messenger hawk made its way through the broken window and perched near Ay.

Seeing it, Ay noticed at once that it was a message from the daimyo of Kaminari no Kuni.

Opening the letter's high profile seal, Ay read it.

By this time, Darui had finished placating the inn employee and turned to find a puzzled Ay holding a message.

"What's the message say?" Darui asked his Raikage in concern. It was a rare occasion when Ay was puzzled so seriously.

"I don't understand," Ay said.

Darui waited for Ay to continue.

"It's a message from the daimyo. He's officially ordering us to acquire Fukui Noriko," Ay replied.

"Why are you puzzled? It sounds dull," Darui inquired.

"We were already prepared to open negotiations to get her back, but this makes no sense. The daimyo ignored her when she was captured and now he's officially giving the order to get her back," Ay elaborated.

"He's a noble. Nobles are whimsical like that," Darui stated.

"No, this is different. He did absolutely nothing when she was kidnapped. Now he's ordering us to acquire her return at any cost," Ay replied in a semi-daze.

"What? Does it really say that?" Darui asked.

"Yes, he specifically states that he wants her back in Kaminari no Kuni at any cost. We are to spare no expense or compromise to get her back," Ay finished.

There was a long pause at that.

"Why does he want her back so badly now?" Darui asked.

"That's what I'd like to know," Ay answered.

ooo

(**1**) Bakayarō! Konoyarō! These are the only Japanese catch-phrases from Bee I plan on using at this point. I didn't want to write out the English for it every time since it makes nowhere near as much sense as the original phrases.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: There is no beta and reviews of any kind are welcome. :) This is short, but I am working on the next one. Also, I'm sorry for the delay.

I never thought this story would ever do this well, so special thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, and/or reviewed for their support!

To one of my guest reviewers: Yes, Nadeshiko can refer to the ideal for Japanese women known as Yamato Nadeshiko. However, it is also a name that can be given to girls. Yamato is also a very common name, making it easy for Tsunade to give Tenzō to use as a code name.

ooo

**Chapter Nine**

I was being gently shaken. Beginning to wake up again, I heard:

"Sorry, I gotta wake you. / There's not much more you gotta get through."

My mind was still kind of groggy, so it took me a minute to process my surroundings. I was still being carried by Bee, but we were no longer outside. We were inside a fancy looking building. There were priceless artifacts just strewn about the place and the walls had gold adornments. The wealth was so much more impressive than the Fukui estate. If whoever built Versailles had been Asian, they would have built a palace like the one I was standing in. I would bet everything that we were inside the palace of Hi no Kuni.

"Oh, we've arrived at our destination?" I inquired.

"Yes, we are going to give you a checkup now because of your ordeal. Tsunade-sama is waiting for you in that room," Minato explained and pointed down the hallway.

Huh, now that I think about it, this is probably the last I'll ever see of Minato before he dies. I believe in fate in this world. Naruto would never be able to help as many people as he does if he didn't go through the pain of what he did. Fate would never allow insignificant me to interfere in this matter. There was no point in actually saying anything to Minato, even if I had cared enough to do so.

Bee continued to carry me to the room Minato had mentioned. That made me panic a bit. I remembered the physicals and checkups in my previous life. Some were more invasive than others depending on what kind of visit to the doctor you were making. I did not want Bee hovering around if that was the case. I guess I'd find out soon enough.

Entering the room, I saw Tsunade standing in Konoha's standard uniform on the right side of the room. I guess she hasn't formally left Konoha yet. It never was explained exactly when she left Konoha, only that it was after Dan died. It could have been a year, perhaps more or less than that.

"I'll need to examine the patient alone if you don't mind. You can guard the door if you want, but no peeking or I'll break every bone in your body," Tsunade said calmly.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure having Jiraiya as a teammate is what influenced that statement.

Bee hesitated for a moment before complying.

Once we were alone, she said, "Take a seat in that chair over there."

I made my way over to it and sat down awkwardly.

Tsunade eyed me critically as I walked over and sat down before approaching me. Then Tsunade placed her palm over my heart and it began to glow green. Her eyes were closed, but after a few seconds she looked up at me in mild shock.

"It looks like you encountered many complications very shortly after you were born. Is this true?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, an Iryō-nin from Kumogakure looked me over when I was five to assess and help me," I answered.

"Your problems are out of their range of expertise. They were also very late in examining you once you turned five. There's no way they could have done much for you," she explained.

"It wasn't good from what I could tell," I replied trying to dumb myself down and seem ditzy to keep up my reputation. I had also tried to use the classic eye-widening innocent look with my statement, but I don't know if it worked. She is part of the famous Sannin after all. It can't hurt to try though.

"Your nervous system and chakra network are a total mess. However, your brain neurons are the most shocking. The most damage was in your brain. If I had only received data on your body and didn't see you moving around normally and talking so well, I would have thought that you were an invalid or worse," she said and paused before carefully continuing.

"It seems almost as if you retrained your muscles and even some cranial nerves needed in order to talk. Care to explain how you did that?" she interrogated. Her manner was all business now.

I'm not ashamed to admit that this woman scared the crap out of me at that comment. I now understand why Sakura was always respectful to Tsunade and freely said that she was scary because she absolutely was. Jiraiya must be a masochist for liking her.

"Uh …" I blanked. What could I possibly say to this woman? She's not just any kunoichi! If it was any old genin, sure I could bluff my way through this situation. However, I hadn't thought of any alibi for this. No one had even seen me rehabilitating myself. I didn't think they'd bring in Tsunade to examine me! I was never supposed to meet any ninja from Konoha let alone some of the most famous!

"Can I go to the bathroom?" I brilliantly fell back on.

"Your bladder is empty. I saw that when I scanned you. You also can't tell me that you need to go number two since your food from this morning is still digesting. So I'll ask you again, how did you recover your mobility?" Tsunade said and pinned me under her stare.

**In the Raikage's Suite:**

"Raikage-sama, it appears that Bee has safely returned with Noriko-sama," Darui reported.

Ay looked relieved that's all he had to report and said, "Good, the sooner we leave Hi no Kuni, the better."

"It is dull here," Darui said.

"I'm going out for some air, but get me as quickly as possible once the meeting starts again," Ay ordered.

"Hai, Raikage-sama," Darui replied.

As Ay was leaving the room, he quickly turned around and said, "Or if that fool Bee makes some mischief. It's too good to be true that he didn't cause an incident yet and Noriko-sama is no better. Trouble-makers the both of them. Keep an eye on them."

"H-Hai, Raikage-sama," Darui repeated a bit uncomfortably.

ooo

**A/N**: Also, just so you guys know, I myself do like Minato so please do not judge Noriko too harshly.

Another note concerning Darui, I'm playing with his age since it wasn't mentioned when I first added him. It was very recently listed (about a week ago?). O_O

Reviews are love. I would like to know what you guys think. :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: There is no beta and reviews of any kind are welcome. :)

I hope you like it.

ooo

**Chapter 10**

As Tsunade stared me down, I started sweating.

That's when a knock sounded on the door.

"Is the exam done yet? The Kages are getting impatient," a voice from outside the exam room said.

"No we are not," Tsunade said.

"Yes we are!" I shouted to the voice outside and quickly made my way to the door.

"Wait just a moment Ojou-sama," Tsunade growled.

Okay, that only made my fear grow.

"Is everything okay in there? I think I heard an animal growl," the voice from outside inquired.

Why wasn't Tsunade restraining me by force if she didn't want me to leave? I was almost at the door. That's when it hit me. I may be a political prisoner, but I was closely related to royalty plus I was a civilian woman. It seems there were standards she wouldn't stoop to.

"Thanks," I said to her and left the room. I was grateful she wasn't getting rough.

The man outside the room was a samurai from Tetsu no Kuni. I was impressed. He looked just like I had always imagined samurai. He had long hair in a ponytail and a sword strapped to his back. He must have been the one knocking on the door.

Then I saw Bee and quickly made my way to him since I didn't want Tsunade getting any ideas to examine me again. I made sure to stand a bit behind him to block her potential view of me if she followed me out of the room. Did I seem reminiscent of some silly toddler peeking around their mom's leg? Yes, but it was a small price to pay to stay away from Tsunade right now.

Bee looked at me quizzically before saying, "Your expression has whitened. / Were you frightened?"

"No, I'm just tired," I lied.

Bee looked at me for a long moment, making me break out in a sweat again, but eventually let it go. I was glad he did, even though it was obvious he knew I was lying. I had no idea what to say about the situation anyway.

Someone coughed delicately behind us.

I turned around. A woman in her mid-thirties who was dressed impeccably was standing in the hallway with Bee and I. She looked at us disdainfully before pointedly asking, "Are you finished with whatever you were doing just now?"

"Yes, the exam is finished," I replied.

"I am the ambassador's wife from Kaminari no Kuni to Hi no Kuni. My name is Fukui Kimiko. We are third cousins twice removed. I am here to see you properly dressed and be your chaperone," she intoned pompously. Good gracious, if anyone ought to be pompous in this situation, shouldn't it be me? Hello, the daimyo was my _uncle_ while she was just a distant relative.

I'll just follow her and do whatever needs doing. If my cover was blown, the least I needed to do was act docile and accepting of whatever is decided for me.

"Very well, follow me," she stated and began walking away.

I faced Bee and said, "See you later." He didn't reply as I left, but that was okay with me.

Then I began following Kimiko-san to whatever our destination was in the palace. She eventually led me to the private onsen of the palace for guests. I can take a hint. It was only natural that I smelled. Though I hoped it hadn't been too awful for the people I had recently been in contact with.

After that, Kimiko-san took me to a suite where I saw a few attendants and many different kimonos displayed in the room.

"You may choose whichever kimono is to your taste from this selection that Hi no Kuni's daimyo has generously provided for you. When you are done, please stay in this room and wait until the negotiations have finished. Rooms are being prepared for you, just in case you need to stay overnight or for however long it is decided," Kimiko-san said.

I just nodded my head. Talking had gotten me in enough trouble already.

Once dressed, I dismissed the attendants remaining with me in the room and Kimiko-san also left. I decided to just doze while looking outside, so I dragged the futon laid out for me in the middle of the floor to the window. Snuggling up, I propped myself up by the wall adjacent and almost touching the window. It had started to rain. I'm glad that didn't happen when I was stranded in the wilderness. It would have been an even more horrendous situation.

Hey, how come Bee didn't go all hormonal over Tsunade like in the Fourth Shinobi War? Weren't older ladies with large chests his thing? Was it because they weren't allies? Did I miss something? I mean, he took the time to ogle her in the middle of a war, so what made it different this time? He's around my age, so puberty should be bombarding him even more than in the Fourth Shinobi War. For that matter, why didn't he say anything about the ambassador's wife? She'd been in that category too. Oh, I know what it was. Tsunade had been wearing the standard uniform and not her outfit from the show which had emphasized her figure. Though it still left the ambassador's wife. Oh, no. Was I clueless to social cues now? Had those years in semi-isolation in Kawa no Kuni made me oblivious like Naruto? That's bad, being so close in relation to royalty I had to be savvy with stuff like this. Affairs went hand in hand with political intrigue. Political intrigue was supposed to be my venue to revenge on Yuki-sama and Nadeshiko-sama. I needed to keep an eye on Bee to confirm if I was clueless. I would need to rectify that immediately.

Now, I wonder what was going to happen to me? Why had Hi no Kuni wanted me and why exactly had Bee been allowed to escort me along with Minato? I hadn't noticed there had been no explanations for that since I was so exhausted despite having slept on the way over to the capital of Hi no Kuni. At this point, I should just wait for the final verdict before making any more plans because these negotiations were weirding me out. In addition, I was too tired to think logically anymore (not that I'd been doing a good job beforehand as evidenced by my little talk with Tsunade).

ooo

**Kage Meeting in the Capital of Hi no Kuni:**

"Everyone's here, so we will now resume the negotiations from earlier. Raikage-dono, you may begin," the representative leader of Tetsu no Kuni said.

"I would like to negotiate the return of Fukui Noriko into Kaminari no Kuni," Ay said.

Hiruzen was quiet for a moment before saying, "We must decline."

"We are prepared to make a deal," Ay continued.

"Well, say it already! We have other matters to move on to and not everyone cares about Fukui Noriko," Oonoki said.

Ay glared at Oonoki before saying, "We are willing to offer a complete and binding alliance with Konohagakure."

"In light of recent developments, I still must refuse," Hiruzen replied.

"What are you talking about Sarutobi?" Ay asked menacingly.

"We not only wish to keep Fukui Noriko to keep Kumogakure in line, but for two additional reasons. One, to keep your Hachibi jinchūriki in line as well. Two, one of my subordinates has taken an interest in her," Hiruzen stated.

"What kind of interest!" Ay shouted. He was worried Hiruzen may have intercepted the daimyo of Kaminari no Kuni's letter to him.

"It is none on your concern. Fukui Noriko is in Hi no Kuni's custody after all," Hiruzen said curtly.

There was a moment of silence.

"Kumogakure is prepared to offer monetary assets in addition to the alliance," Ay bit out.

"How much?" Hiruzen asked. Konohagakure could use the funds to keep up the village after the expected downsizing in missions and funds that always followed after war.

"Fifteen million ryō," Ay said and the haggling began.

"Don't you think you're being rash Ay? The Hokage might be bluffing her value to Hi no Kuni," Oonoki input.

"Stay out of this you old coot!" Ay shouted.

"Learn to respect your betters boy or I might just put in my own bid for Fukui Noriko. It seems she might be worth something after all," Oonoki said slyly.

"Thirty million ryō," Hiruzen said.

Oonoki glanced at Ay before saying, "I'll offer forty million ryō."

Ay clenched his fists before replying with, "Forty-one million ryō."

Hiruzen thought for a moment and said to Ay, "I'll knock my price down to thirty-eight million ryō if you allow my subordinate to examine Fukui Noriko."

Ay considered the proposal and answered, "Only if one of mine is present during it."

"Very well, I agree to those terms," Hiruzen replied.

Oonoki grunted at being ignored so blatantly by both the Raikage and Hokage.

"Are both Raikage-dono and Hokage-dono satisfied with the terms?" the representative of Tetsu no Kuni asked.

"Hai," each of the respective Kage mentioned said.

"Then it shall be recorded as an official statement. We will now move on to the next item on the agenda," the representative of Tetsu no Kuni continued.

ooo

As I looked out the window, I absently noted that it was twilight outside. There was a knock on the door before I heard, "May I come in?"

"Yes," I replied.

Fukui Kimiko entered the room.

"The meetings have finished," she stated and then seemed to wait for something.

Seriously, what did she think I'd do? Ask a bunch of inane questions? Her whole purpose in being present was to tell me what I needed to know. Typical noble, she needed to let her control tendencies go.

A little miffed, she said, "It seems you are to travel back to Kaminari no Kuni. You are no longer a political prisoner."

Now that is surprising. Good thing I hadn't made any plans that would have centered around Hi no Kuni. I wonder why I had, essentially, been bought back. That was the only logical way for Kaminari no Kuni to get me back. I had read many peace treaties over the years and that's usually how things panned out for political prisoners if they weren't married off as quickly as possible. Though I wonder what else Hi no Kuni got out of it.

"You will be staying the night here before leaving tomorrow after your final examination. As your chaperone, I shall also make the trip with you back into Kaminari no Kuni," she further explained.

"Hai," I said meekly. Then what she said actually registered in my brain. I almost fainted again – I was that scared of Tsunade.

I cannot believe I had to see Tsunade again. It's a good thing I'd been sleeping on and off all day because I seriously doubt I'll sleep tonight.

ooo

I was not a happy camper in the morning.

I needed some tea, so I called one of the attendants bustling around the suite over to me.

"Bring me some black tea," I ordered. I had quickly learned at a young age in the Fukui estate that you never said please or thank you to servants and attendants. Corporal punishment had driven that tendency out of me very fast.

When it arrived, I drank from it with gusto to rid myself of the drowsiness I felt from sleep deprivation.

Kimiko-san walked over and poured herself a cup too. However, when she saw what it was she had a fit.

"What is the meaning of this?! This is an insult!" she screeched.

All the attendants froze.

"I ordered it," I said calmly. No need for them to get in trouble when I didn't mind owning up to the deed.

"What! Black tea is for commoners! Nobles always drink green tea or herbal tea," she reprimanded.

This was true. I normally had herbal tea, but this morning I needed something stronger. I had never been informed of coffee in this world, and therefore never ordered it because I don't think it exists here. Traditionally, green tea is the go-to drink for nobles because it's considered high class, but I hated it. It was gross.

"I wanted to drink black tea," I said stubbornly.

"Well, not on my watch you won't," she said and ordered one of the attendants to replace it with green tea.

So much for waking up. At least I'd had one cup. Too bad the cups were small and delicate works of expensive art, otherwise I could have had more.

"We should make our way to get your examination done. Breakfast will be ready upon our return to the room," Kimiko-san said.

Ugh, this woman just went on and on with her commands. I suppose as I had been almost completely left alone for the past eleven years, the constant supervision was beginning to chafe.

Rising from the table, we headed out of the room and into the hallway. There, we were met by Bee.

"Good morning. / How are you doing?" Bee asked.

"I'm fine, how about you? Did you sleep well?" I said politely back.

"I'm doin' great. / I even got here early to not be late!" he replied.

"Are you here to guard me again for the exam?" I asked hopefully. I really wanted him present this time because if he and Minato reached a stalemate in their battle, he could definitely take on Tsunade too. Though I don't know if protecting me would put him at a disadvantage against her. I'm pretty sure Minato is stronger than Tsunade, which would mean Bee could take her, but I don't know for a certainty. I also wanted to confirm if I was socially awkward or not.

"I'm here to guarantee, / that Konohagakure does not mislead," Bee said.

That was a relief. Maybe his presence would prevent Tsunade from asking anymore questions. My fear must be making me desperate.

Kimiko-san led the way to the examination room.

I had been meaning to ask Bee a question and now was a good a time as any.

"Bee, how old are you?" I asked. He seemed to be my age when we last met, but his growth had so escalated that I was now doubting my estimation from before. I also wanted to know to keep track of things in this world.

"I'm sixteen, / but my birthday will soon reconvene!" Bee rapped loudly. His voice echoed down the hallway. I'm very surprised he was brought along on this trip.

Though I can't believe he's the same age as me (physically I mean). People from Kaminari no Kuni must age fast and then plateau because Ay didn't look too wrinkly in the Fourth Shinobi War.

I was going to ask another question, but Kimiko-san glared at me for silence.

Then I realized I'd been talking too much, but it was too late now. If I was a kunoichi, I'd probably get everyone killed because I can't maintain a cover. These past two days had really thrown me for a loop and I was making so many mistakes.

It felt like all too soon we were outside the door to the make-shift examination room. A servant stationed at the door opened it for me and I walked inside.

"Good morning. It's nice to see you again, Ojou-sama," Tsunade said with a smile.

Okay, I know I'm getting delusional if I think her smile makes her more menacing than the growl she made yesterday.

"Good morning," I replied back weakly.

ooo

**A/N**: I had lots of fun writing Oonoki this time. Please review because I like hearing your thoughts on the chapter. :D


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: There is no beta and reviews of any kind are welcome. :)

I have a friend who works in the medical field and I asked them what goes on in certain procedures for neurological issues, so I tried to make it as realistic as possible (you know, even though there's chakra involved so that makes making this exam realistic kind of moot).

As always, many thanks to the lovely people that have taken the time to favorite, review, and/or follow this fanfic!

ooo

**Chapter 11**

Kimiko-san left to go somewhere else as soon as Tsunade had greeted me again in the exam room.

While standing in the open doorway, I immediately noticed that Tsunade was no longer wearing her standard uniform, but her outfit from canon. Fantastic, now I can check my hypothesis about my potential social awkwardness. Glancing at Bee, I noticed no change in behavior from him. What a letdown. I thought for sure he'd have the same reaction as in canon. Maybe he changed over time? I thought his personality was relatively the same throughout his life, but perhaps that's just because his rapping is so memorable?

Before I could ponder this more, Tsunade interrupted my thoughts.

"My assistant, Shizune, will be observing for the most part. Now, lie down on that table," Tsunade ordered.

Walking over to the exam room table, it was then I noticed Shizune's presence for the first time. She had been standing in the far left corner of the room and was holding Tonton. I didn't know they already had Tonton. Although, seeing Shizune as a girl around my age was even weirder. The table Tsunade had mentioned had not been there yesterday. It was covered in a thick futon to make it more comfortable. I guess Tsunade renovated the room for this particular exam.

"I'll mostly be scanning your brain and spinal cord. Just lie still and relax," Tsunade said as she walked over to the table.

Tsunade then placed her hands over my head and the green mist of chakra materialized. She focused for about a couple of minutes before stopping and taking down about ten pages of notes. She was definitely a medical genius if she got that much information in two minutes. Then again, it only took a few seconds for her to heal Sasuke's brain trauma from Itachi's Tsukuyomi, which is a big deal if she was the only one on Earth able to heal it. At least that's what the Naruto show stated. No wonder Orochimaru sought her out to heal his arms.

Physical therapy must be relatively new if it even exists at all right now, to make Tsunade so interested in the results I had produced over eleven years. I was betting on it not existing at all. She was acting like this was quite a breakthrough with all those notes and even I could tell she was fascinated.

"I healed up some parts of your brain and spinal cord. Your movements should become a bit smoother now over time. Can you sit up?" Tsunade asked. When did she do that? Okay, I needed to pay attention and not drift off into my thoughts.

I complied with her request and sat up. Next, I saw her take a toothpick out of her pocket. What the heck?

"I'm going to assess your sense of touch now. Close your eyes and tell me if you feel anything," Tsunade said.

I closed my eyes and soon felt a slight prick on my right cheek.

"Ow," I replied.

This continued a few more times over my face, arms, and legs.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now," Tsunade said and wrote more notes down.

When I opened my eyes, I noticed Bee picking up some of her notes to read, but she smacked his hands away. He took the hint, although begrudgingly from the looks of it.

This made me realize that it seemed jinchūriki were not subtle if you considered Bee and Naruto. I know I certainly couldn't imagine a rapping spy or one that insists on wearing that fashion faux pas shade of orange. I didn't know enough about the other jinchūriki from the show to make a concrete statement about it though.

"This pretty much ends the exam, but we need a blood sample to complete it. My assistant, Shizune, will proceed from here," Tsunade said. I saw Shizune put Tonton down and wash her hands before gathering medical supplies. That done, she started heading towards me.

Blood sample? My heart started beating fast. Tsunade must be scared of blood because she was making Shizune do it. Here was evidence that what I knew was still on track! From this, I can conclude that Bee was just keeping his preferences to himself because they were enemies. Therefore, I could conclude my little experiment as well for the time being, though I should continue to look for more instances to further evaluate my knowledge. Still, it made me feel so much better to know that I was not socially awkward.

That was when I felt Shizune wipe something that looked similar to an alcohol swab on my upper arm. I really needed to pay attention. Then she took out a needle. I felt the sting of the needle and watched as the blood was drawn into a vial. When she finished, she placed a Band-Aid on my arm.

"All done," Shizune said.

It was finally over. My head felt woozy in relief and I swayed a bit. I felt Bee put his hand on my shoulder to steady me, which actually helped orient me.

Slipping off the table, I then made my way to the door as fast as I could. No way did I want to accidentally mess up anymore than I had. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Bee follow after me at a leisurely pace due to his height.

ooo

**Tsunade and Shizune in the Exam Room:**

"Ne, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked.

"What is it Shizune?" Tsunade drawled while packing up the medical supplies.

"Why didn't you question Noriko-sama further? We could have learned more," Shizune queried.

"It wasn't in the agreement. Had it started to sound like an interrogation, the jinchūriki would have been within his rights to end the exam immediately. Therefore, we actually did gain the maximum information that we could. In any case, Sarutobi-sensei would not have been happy with me if I gave Kumogakure the upper hand when we currently possess it," Tsunade stated matter-of-factly to her protégé.

Shizune nodded in newfound understanding while Tonton nudged Tsunade's leg in a plea to be picked up.

"It seems this trip wasn't a total waste after all," Tsunade said while reading through her notes and adding little annotations here and there. Tonton felt thoroughly ignored and waddled off in the corner a huff.

"You certainly made you complaints clear upon arrival," Hiruzen said suddenly appearing in the room.

"Hokage-sama!" Shizune exclaimed in surprise at the Hokage's arrival.

Tsunade looked up from her notes at her Sensei before replying with, "Well I didn't expect a pampered noble to be so interesting. She rehabilitated quite a bit of her injuries all by herself. What I could see from her body will completely change the way many injuries are currently rehabilitated. I've written up procedures to test out at the hospital for you in addition to her raw data and my analysis for others to analyze."

Hiruzen sighed knowing he wouldn't see Tsunade for quite some time in Konohagakure again.

ooo

**In a Hallway with Bee and Noriko:**

As Bee and I walked back to my room, I had no idea what to talk about. It was a long way to get to my room because the palace was quite large. The hallways were maze-like to make it hard for invaders should they breach the palace gates.

There was a weird silence between us as we walked since we weren't friends or anything. Now, I had questions from my former life that begged to be answered, but I didn't feel like I could ask them. I couldn't just blurt out, "What's Gyūki's favorite color and type of music? Does he ever rap with you? Does Gyūki see in black and white or color?" That last one really nagged me inside my mind.

Not to mention the fact that other people might be watching us as well. Moreover, that wasn't even the biggest problem. If I asked so many questions, he'd think I'd _want_ to be friends, which I did not. Sending mixed signals was a matter I wished to avoid. Whatever, once we got back to Kumogakure I would hardly see him again. He'd go back to his shinobi duties and I'd remain behind the walls of the Fukui estate (at least until I fulfilled my plans).

That's when I walked straight into a wall. The hallway had made a sharp turn to the right and I hadn't picked up on it at all. I was even facing forward. My clumsiness was really bad today. It was probably all the stress from worrying if they'd find out about my past life or just label me insane and lock me up forever. Shaking myself out of my stupor, I glared at Bee.

"Aren't you supposed to guard me or something?" I asked sarcastically.

"I thought it'd be better so you'd pay attention after walking into the wall. / Besides, you didn't hear my call," Bee explained.

"Oh," I said. I still think he did it on purpose for some weird reason other than the one he said. I knew he had to have lightning fast reflexes because how else could he keep up with Ay?

"Are you feeling okay? / At the end of that exam you did sway," Bee asked.

I thought about it for a moment. My body did feel a bit better, but I couldn't put my finger on what had actually improved. I'd need to try out some physical therapy when I was sure I was alone. Well, as much as a civilian can know they're alone. I should probably wait a week before continuing my physical therapy to be on the safe side.

"Yes," I answered.

Bee then smiled.

Alright, that freaks me out a bit. He is sounding and acting way too much like he really cares. I take back the spy comment about him, since he's much better than I thought at acting.

This just made me mad and I wanted to give him a piece of his own medicine. Who does he think he is to just waltz into my life again and pretend like that? Why doesn't he just take a hint (the verbal and clear multiple hints I've given) and leave me alone?

"I'd like to speak with you Bee," I stated seriously.

Bee just raised his brow at that, which made me go from mad to furious. I then noticed his insane height compared to mine and wanted the playing field evened out so to speak.

"I want to speak with you eye to eye, so lean over a bit please," I ground out.

He did as I requested. Though, as he did so his sunglasses bothered me. How could I know he didn't just hear me, but actually listened to what I was going to say?

So I reached up slowly (because I didn't forget that this was a shinobi I was dealing with and had to be handled with caution) to remove his sunglasses.

Bee restrained my hand in a gentle, but firm hold that prevented me from removing the sunglasses.

"What are you doing? / My eyes aren't for your viewing," Bee rapped.

"I said I wanted to speak with you eye to eye. This way I know you're paying attention," I replied.

I have no idea how long we stayed that way. Him restraining me and I refusing to look away.

Finally, he let go of my hand that he had clasped while restraining me and I took it as permission to remove the sunglasses. He'd never been seen without them in the anime so I was somewhat curious too. I tried to carefully remove them without touching his face, but my fingers very lightly brushed against him. Oh well, so much for maintaining his personal space (I was a big advocate for personal bubbles).

Hmm, so his eyes were turquoise. I hadn't expected that.

Looking into his eyes, I said, "Alright, before I say anything else, I want you to know that I do appreciate that you came to get me with Minato. However, I do not appreciate your pretending to actually care. I understand that shinobi are loyal to their village, so you do not need to keep up any pretenses around me and lie. I have made it clear that I will not be your friend, so you need to stop whatever game it is that you're playing."

After letting my speech sink in, I nodded in farewell and said, "I can walk to my room myself. Have a good day, Bee-san."

I backed up a couple of steps, then moved forward and around him to walk towards my room. However, shortly after doing so, I was suddenly stopped.

ooo

**A/N**: First off, I am sorry for this huge delay in posting. The holidays were hectic and not in a good way. However, I hope all of you had a good holiday season.

That last scene actually just came out of nowhere. I sat down to write this chapter and had something else planned, but this plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone. I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about the chapter, so if you want, please leave a review. :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** All rights belong to Kishimoto. All OCs are mine.

**Note**: There is no beta and reviews of any kind are welcome. :)

My sincere thanks goes out to those of you who have favorited, followed, and/or reviewed. C:

I'm also very honored that some of you added my fanfic to communities. XD

**Mini Recap:**

_After letting my speech sink in, I nodded in farewell and said, "I can walk to my room myself. Have a good day, Bee-san."_

_I backed up a couple of steps, then moved forward and around him to walk towards my room. However, shortly after doing so, I was suddenly stopped._

ooo

**Chapter 12**

Coming to a sudden stop, I saw that I was now facing Bee and held immobile again. He was holding me by the shoulders, was slightly leaning down again, and had pulled me even closer than we'd been earlier.

"Ever heard of personal space? I respected yours earlier!" I exclaimed. Maybe he thought I didn't though? He never gave verbal permission to remove his sunglasses, so this could be him using the standard I had unknowingly set. That's when I realized I still held his sunglasses.

"Here are your sunglasses back. I really didn't know I still had them until just now, so let me go!" I blurted out while trying to shove the sunglasses in his face.

"I heard your doubts. / Now you're gonna hear me out," Bee rapped and completely ignored my comment about personal space.

"Those weren't doubts, but firm beliefs," I clarified.

"I have never lied or pretended with you. / I came to get you because I wanted to know if what I knew, still held true," Bee rapped.

"What are you talking about?" I interrupted.

"You know about me, / but have never tried to flee. / Even now, your body is relaxed, / despite being attached. / Most importantly, / I wanted to see / if you had changed over time / from our encounter that onetime," Bee rapped and this time he held my gaze before continuing.

"And I've found today, / that you haven't changed a day. / You aren't afraid of me, / but of something else entirely," Bee rapped softly.

I had pretty much stopped breathing at that point. Part of me furiously wanted to deny everything he said, while the other had no idea on how to respond. I was also scared that he knew I was scared and could read me like that. I was afraid, but I didn't want others to know since it felt like an invasion of privacy.

What was I supposed to do in this situation?

"What is going on here?!"

Breathing again, I looked over my shoulder behind me. It was Kimiko-san. I never thought I'd feel this way, but I was very glad to see her. I desperately didn't want to continue our conversation anymore.

Bee released his hold on me and I stepped away to turn towards her. Now that there was outside interference, I was starting to calm down.

"Kimiko-san, what brings you here?" I asked.

"You were taking too long. Care to explain what you were doing here with that _thing_?" Kimiko-san demanded. Her facial expression looked so pompous and her belittling tone just fueled my temper (which had been on the verge of dissipating).

"Don't ever call a person a thing. It's rude," I said then answered her question with, "And no, I will not explain anything to you." Then I turned around again to walk toward my room and kept going without a backward glance.

I could hear her spluttering behind me.

As much as that satisfied my anger, as I kept walking, my temper cooled. My emotions had been all over the place back there and that caused me to respond with what I would normally only say in my head. My natural response had been the wrong thing to do though. I just kept messing everything up. Who knows what that woman would say or do about my apparent slowness!

Now I'd have to wait and see what repercussions I'd reaped. Waiting seemed to be a theme for my life in this world and I was slowly getting sick of it.

ooo

When I ate breakfast in my suite, it had been alone. Apparently Kimiko-san was "too distressed to eat in company." At least that's what her servant told me when they came to deliver the message. It was standard protocol to do that in this situation, so Kimiko-san was supposedly being polite and courteous. I personally think she was scheming about me. I'm pretty sure my reputation as being slow is kaput.

At the moment, it was time to begin the journey to Kaminari no Kuni. I was standing outside near the right side of the palace gates in my yukata since those were less formal and perfect for travel by noble standards in the summer. Due to the day's heat, I was even carrying a cute umbrella to shade my skin from the sun that shone down unhindered by the clouds. There were also numerous attendants flitting about taking care of last minute preparations.

Kimiko-san was still "distressed" and had already gotten into her own palanquin. I was waiting on mine, which Hi no Kuni's daimyo was gifting me personally. I actually liked him because he gifted it to me and not my family, so it was technically the only thing I actually owned by myself. I don't care if he does get intimidated by Danzō, he's now my favorite of all the daimyo. It was actually a big deal since I was unmarried and not of age. Hi no Kuni's daimyo was certainly eccentric to just give me such an extravagant gift out of the blue. Maybe he felt bad I was kidnapped on the way to his country? If it was a PR stunt, I was sold.

Regarding this trip, I didn't expect anything to go wrong because we were traveling with Ay and Bee. Speaking of whom, I had pushed my encounter with Bee to the back of my mind since I simply didn't want to think about it.

One of the attendants was passing relatively near me, so I asked them, "Do you know how long the journey to Kumogakure is going to take?" It wouldn't do for me to shout in public.

"One moment Ojou-sama," the attendant said and bowed before leaving to find out about my inquiry.

To pass the time, I counted everyone traveling with me. There was Ay, Bee, Darui (hadn't expected to see him), and several attendants from Kimiko-san. I guess with such powerful shinobi among us, anymore would look suspicious in a foreign country.

At about that time, the attendant came back and said, "The journey will take about two and a half weeks Ojou-sama."

"Very well," I said nicely in dismissal. I never got used to speaking to people like they were less than me. It went against my American mentality, so I tried to say that stuff as nicely as possible.

My palanquin had arrived and was a lovely blue with gold accents. I was so glad it didn't have any symbols on it (especially the Fukui clan symbol, which would have annoyed me).

"Excuse me Ojou-sama, but your palanquin is now ready for you," a different attendant from earlier informed me.

I quickly made my way inside the palanquin with the help of another attendant and waited for the long journey to begin. It made sense that the journey would take that long since we'd be traveling at a civilian pace.

ooo

**Near the Palace Gates (Opposite from Noriko):**

"Do you want to tell me what has you so quiet Bee?" Ay asked in concern while leaning casually against the gate itself. Bee was standing a few paces from him, but had been looking at the sky.

Bee looked from the sky to Ay and rapped, "It ain't nothin' to worry about. / I'm just thinkin' about how some things played out."

Ay sighed before saying, "I did tell you that people change Bee." He hoped Bee wasn't too disappointed.

"Good guess, / but that's not what I'm thinking of I must confess," was Bee's response.

"Then what is it?" Ay asked inquisitively.

"I want to think about it more, / before I tell you anything for sure," Bee rapped and then disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Ay just shook his head and ardently wished for better luck on this journey to Kumogakure.

ooo

**Seven Hours into the Trip to Kumogakure:**

I was so bored. Inside the palanquin there were thirty gold filigree designs, soft silk blue cushions in nine different shades, and three hundred and forty-two small wooden panels that I could see amidst all the decorations.

There was nothing that I wanted to plan or think about at the moment and I couldn't look outside at the scenery because I wanted to avoid seeing Bee. I would have requested some books to read, but I hadn't on the very slim off chance I was being paranoid that Kimiko-san was plotting against me. Therefore, to maintain appearances, I had forgone any reading entertainment. It was times like these that I missed modern technology the most. I couldn't even play solitaire because card games were considered gambling, which was only allowed if you were a man or a married woman whose husband let her gamble.

At least we were traveling at a decent pace with regular eating breaks.

My palanquin then came to a halt. We better be stopping for the night and it better be at an inn. I'd had enough of the wilderness.

"We have arrived at the inn Ojou-sama," an attendant from outside informed me.

At last! I could eat and bathe. Leaving the palanquin, I was helped down by an attendant. Getting in the palanquin was much easier than getting out of it because my clothes were so bulky that it was hard to see the ground nearest to my feet.

Seeing the modest inn, I was in a hurry to get inside, but I had to wait for Kimiko-san since she was my chaperone. Glancing around, I found that she was waiting for me at the inn's door.

Once I was next to her, we walked into the inn and up to our rooms. As we strolled into the suite, Kimiko-san interrupted the silence with, "I've ordered some tea since I thought it'd be good to have a tea ceremony lesson while we're here. Your manners could do with a touch up before we reach our homeland. I'm only trying to look after you since you've been gone for eleven years."

Glancing at me with a sympathetic look, she said, "I do hope you like the selection I've prepared. I even added honey to the menu since I heard you don't like bitter foods or drinks."

Behind us, our attendants, which were technically in Kimiko-san's employ, began giggling.

Kimiko-san interrupted them saying, "Don't you two have duties to attend to?"

Chastened, the attendants quickly left the room.

Now, I know I said I was bored, but I did _not_ want to do a tea ceremony after traveling for seven hours. This confirmed that Kimiko-san was definitely not an ally of mine.

ooo

**At the Fukui Estate:**

"Yuki-sama, we have received word concerning Noriko-sama," said an attendant holding a message scroll.

Regally sitting at his desk, Yuki-sama merely inclined his head in indication for the message to be brought forward.

The attendant drew near and passed the message to an aide, who then gave it to Yuki-sama.

Yuki-sama opened the message and began reading. His facial expression changed slightly, but it was too swiftly cleared away to know for sure what it had been.

"Bring me some ink and paper as quickly as you can. The daimyo needs to be informed of this immediately," Yuki-sama stated.

The attendant scurried out of the room.

"The rest of you, please leave me alone for a moment," Yuki-sama said to his personal aides and other attendants in the room. Everyone left, but with a lot of curiosity.

It was only when he was alone that Yuki-sama allowed himself to change his formal pose and fold his hands together under his chin and smile.

"So, it seems that things are finally going my way," Yuki-sama said quietly in satisfaction.

ooo

**A/N:** I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I had to smooth out some rough edges, but it's thankfully done now. I wouldn't mind any reviews telling me I missed something though *hint hint*. :)


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